South African Woman Jailed 25Yrs for Smuggling Heroin Through Abuja Airport

A South African woman has been jailed for a maximum of twenty-five years for smuggling heroin into Nigeria, through the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

Thirty-eight-year-old WILL JESSICA ANN was arraigned before Justice OBIORA EGWUATU of the Federal High Court in Abuja in connection with five-point-seven-five kilograms of heroin.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, alleged that ANN unlawfully imported the hard drugs into the country on July 6.

ANN pleaded guilty to the charges, expressed remorse and pleaded for leniency, promising never to engage in such an act again, claiming she did not know there were illicit drugs in the bags.

In his judgement, Justice EGWUATU held that the law is settled that a conviction follows a plea of guilty and subsequently convicted her of the offence.

Justice EGWUATU consequently sentenced her to a maximum of twenty-five years in prison, adding that if the convict does not appeal the judgement within the period prescribed by law, the heroin should be destroyed.

Recall the NDLEA had in a statement signed by its Director of Media and Advocacy, FEMI BABAFEMI, announced the arrest of WILL JESSICA ANN in July, while travelling with her three-year-old son.

BABAFEMI noted that the woman was arrested on Monday, July 6, during the inward clearance of passengers on Qatar Airways Flight QR1433, arriving from Doha.

He said the convict initially denied travelling with any checked-in luggage before operatives established that two suitcases containing fourteen large blocks of heroin bore baggage tags matching the claim tags attached to her passport.