{
  "id": 8157566,
  "title": "Court Sentences South African to 25 Years Imprisonment for Bringing Heroin to Nigeria",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/court-sentences-south-african-to-25-years-imprisonment-for-bringing",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-18T02:35:49.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "This Day",
    "slug": "this-day",
    "url": "https://www.thisdaylive.com/2026/09/18/court-sentences-south-african-to-25-years-imprisonment-for-bringing-heroin-to-nigeria-2/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In a recent sentencing, a Federal High Court in Abuja has handed down a 25-year imprisonment term to Ann Jessica Will, a South African woman, for attempting to bring 5.75 kilograms of heroin into Nigeria. The conviction came after her guilty plea to two criminal charges filed by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). Will was apprehended on July 6 at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, during a routine inspection of a Qatar Airways flight arriving from Doha. She was subsequently arraigned and pleaded guilty to the charges.\n\nDuring the sentencing, the judge, Obiora Egwuatu, took into account the street value of the drug, the defendant's status as a first-time offender, and her role as a mother. Despite her pleas for leniency and her acknowledgment of her mistake, the judge deemed a 25-year sentence appropriate for the second count, while reducing the first count to 15 years, with both sentences to run concurrently. The charges against Will were laid under Sections 14 and 11(a) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, 2004, which carries penalties ranging from 15 years to life imprisonment for the respective offenses.",
  "summary": "Alex Enumah in Abuja A Federal High Court in Abuja, has sentenced a South African woman, Ann Jessica Will, to 25 years imprisonment, for bringing 5.75 kilogrammes heroin into the",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "This Day",
        "title": "Court Sentences South African to 25 Years Imprisonment for Bringing Heroin to Nigeria",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/17/court-sentences-south-african-to-25-years-imprisonment-for-bringing",
        "published": "2026-09-17T14:03:07.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Premium Times",
        "title": "Court jails South African woman 25 years in Abuja for importing heroin into Nigeria",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/17/court-jails-south-african-woman-25-years-in-abuja-for-importing",
        "published": "2026-09-17T15:13:53.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}