South African woman jailed for importing heroin into Nigeria
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Thursday sentenced a female South African national identified as Jessica Ann to 25 years imprisonment for importing 5.75 kilogrammes of heroin into Nigeria. Justice Obiora Egwuatu, who convicted and sentenced Ann after she pleaded guilty to unlawfully importing the heroin, stated that crime does not pay and […]
A South African woman named Jessica Ann has been sentenced to 25 years in prison in Abuja for importing 5.75 kilogrammes of heroin into Nigeria. The Federal High Court convicted Ann after she pleaded guilty to the unlawful importation, with Justice Obiora Egwuatu stating that "crime does not pay" and that the law is not influenced by emotions.
Ann was arrested at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on July 6, 2026, when she was found with two suitcases containing the heroin during the inward clearance of passengers on Qatar Airways Flight QR1433 arriving from Doha. She initially denied having any luggage, but after investigators established that the bags matched the claim tags on her passport, she admitted to their contents.
Ann pleaded guilty to conspiracy and unlawful importation in August, admitting to working with Jan Coenraad De Jager, a South African man. The court also considered the street value of heroin, which is approximately N18 million per kilogramme. Ann expressed remorse and promised not to engage in such acts again, but the judge ruled that if she does not appeal within the prescribed time, the heroin would be destroyed.
She was sentenced to 15 years for the first count and an additional 25 years for the second count, with the sentences to run concurrently, making her total sentence 25 years in prison.
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