The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced a 38-year-old South African woman, Will Ann, to 25 years in prison for trafficking 5.75 kilogrammes of heroin into Nigeria.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu handed down the sentence on Thursday, stressing that the law could not be swayed by emotions.
Ann was arrested at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, after she was found with the illicit substance.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) had arraigned her before the court in August, where she pleaded guilty to unlawfully importing 5.75kg of heroin into Nigeria on July 6.
According to the NDLEA, Ann was arrested while traveling with her three-year-old son on Qatar Airways Flight QR1433 from Doha.
The agency said she was apprehended during the inward clearance of passengers at the airport.
Delivering judgment, Egwuatu said Ann had admitted to committing the offense in her extrajudicial statement before entering her guilty plea.
The judge held that the law was settled that a guilty plea could form the basis for conviction, and consequently convicted Ann.
Following the conviction, the prosecution urged the court to consider the value of the seized heroin in sentencing the convict, stating that one kilogramme was worth about N18 million.
Ann, however, pleaded for leniency, promising never to engage in drug trafficking again. She said she was remorseful and claimed that she was unaware that the bag contained illicit drugs.
After considering the submissions of both parties and the plea for mercy, Justice Egwuatu said “crime does not pay,” adding that the law could not be influenced by emotions.
READ ALSO: Ghana’s GDP Grows 6% in Q2 2026 as Digital Economy Drives Expansion
The judge sentenced Ann to 15 years’ imprisonment on Count One and 25 years on Count Two. He ordered that the sentences run concurrently.
Justice Egwuatu further ordered that the seized heroin be destroyed if Ann failed to appeal the judgment within the period prescribed by law.
