The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced 38-year-old South African woman Will Ann to 25 years in prison for smuggling 5.75kg of heroin into Nigeria.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu gave the judgment on Thursday, saying Nigerian law does not respect emotions.
Ann was arrested in July at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, while travelling with her three-year-old son. She had arrived from Doha on Qatar Airways Flight QR1433 when NDLEA officers found the drugs during an inward clearance of passengers.
The NDLEA later arraigned her in August, where she pleaded guilty to importing 5.75kg of heroin into Nigeria on July 6.
Justice Egwuatu said Ann had also admitted the offence in her extrajudicial statement before pleading guilty. He noted that the law provides that a conviction follows a guilty plea.
After her conviction, the prosecution asked the court to consider the value of heroin, putting the cost of 1kg at about N18 million.
Ann pleaded for mercy, saying she was remorseful, did not know there were illicit drugs in the bag and would never repeat the act.
The judge said, “Crime does not pay” and that the law is not influenced by “emotions”.
He sentenced her to 15 years on Count 1 and 25 years on Count 2, with both terms running concurrently.
He also ordered that the heroin be destroyed if she does not appeal within the period allowed by law.
