South African woman jailed 25 years over traffick of heroin into Nigeria

The Nigerian Federal High Court located in Abuja on Thursday sentenced a 38-year-old South African woman, to 25 years imprisonment for smuggling 5.75 kg of heroin into Nigeria.

Justice Obiora Egwuatu, in a judgment, held that the Nigerian law does not respect emotions.

According to report, the accused, Will Ann was arrested when she trafficked the substance through the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) had, in August, arraigned Ann before the court, where she pleaded guilty to unlawfully importing 5.75 kilograms of the heroin into the country on July 6.

The NDLEA said she was arrested in July while travelling with her three-year-old son, during an inward clearance of passengers on Qatar Airways Flight QR1433, arriving from Doha.

Ann was arrested in July while travelling with her three-year-old

Delivering the judgment, Justice Egwuatu held that prior to her guilty plea, the defendant had admitted to committing the offence in her extrajudicial statement.

The judge noted that the law is settled that a conviction follows a plea of guilty.

She was consequently convicted of the offence.

Following her conviction, the prosecution urged the court to factor in the cost of 1 kg of heroin, which is worth about N18 million, in sentencing her.

Ann, however, begged the court to temper justice with mercy.

She promised never to engage in such an act again.

She also said she was remorseful and did not know there were illicit drugs in the bag.

After hearing from the parties and considering the defendant’s plea for leniency, the judge said, “Crime does not pay” and that the law is not influenced by “emotions”.

The judge consequently sentenced her to 15 years’ imprisonment on Count 1 and 25 years’ imprisonment on Count 2.

The judge ordered that the sentencing shall run concurrently.