The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced a 38-year-old South African woman, Will Jessica Ann, to 25 years in prison for unlawfully importing 5.75 kilogrammes of heroin into Nigeria.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu handed down the sentence on Thursday after the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency arraigned the woman for importing the banned substance through the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
Will pleaded guilty to the offence, which was committed on July 6. Following her plea, the court proceeded to convict her.
The judge noted that the convict had also admitted to committing the offence in an extrajudicial statement made before her arraignment.
Justice Egwuatu said the law was clear that a conviction follows where a defendant pleads guilty to a criminal offence.
The convict appeared in court with her three-year-old son and reportedly wept as she appealed to the court for leniency.
Despite her plea for clemency, the judge said the law had to take its course and subsequently sentenced her to 25 years in prison.
The court’s decision followed the prosecution of the case by the NDLEA, which brought the defendant before the Federal High Court after the heroin was allegedly discovered in her possession during her arrival in Nigeria.
The case adds to ongoing efforts by Nigerian authorities to curb the trafficking and importation of illicit drugs through the country’s airports and other entry points.
