South African woman sentenced to 25 Years for smuggling Heroin into Nigeria

The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced a 38-year-old South African woman, Will 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 convict pleaded guilty to the offence brought against her by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

Ann was arrested at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, in July after arriving from Doha aboard Qatar Airways Flight QR1433.

According to the NDLEA, the woman was travelling with her three-year-old son when she was arrested during the inward clearance of passengers.

She was subsequently arraigned before the court in August and pleaded guilty to importing 5.75kg of heroin into Nigeria on July 6.

In his judgment, Justice Egwuatu noted that the defendant had admitted committing the offence in her extrajudicial statement before entering her guilty plea.

The judge held that where a defendant pleads guilty to a criminal charge, the law provides for conviction based on the plea.

Justice Egwuatu consequently convicted Ann of the offence.

Following the conviction, the prosecution urged the court to consider the street value of the seized heroin in determining the appropriate sentence, stating that one kilogramme of the substance was worth about N18 million.

Ann, however, pleaded with the court for leniency, saying she was remorseful and would never engage in such an act again.

She also claimed that she was unaware that the bag she was carrying contained illicit drugs.

After listening to the prosecution and the defendant’s plea for mercy, Justice Egwuatu stressed that criminal conduct could not be excused on emotional grounds.

“Crime does not pay,” the judge said, adding that the law is not influenced by “emotions”.

The court subsequently sentenced Ann to 15 years’ imprisonment on Count One and 25 years on Count Two.

Justice Egwuatu ordered that the two sentences should run concurrently, meaning she will serve a maximum of 25 years.

The judge further ordered that the seized heroin should be destroyed if the convict does not appeal the judgment within the period prescribed by law.

The case was prosecuted by the NDLEA following the woman’s arrest at the Abuja airport.

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