South African Woman Jailed 40 Years For Smuggling 5.75kg Heroin
By Anne Osemekeh, Abuja
A Federal High Court in Abuja has convicted and sentenced a 38-year-old South African woman, Jessica Ann Will, to 40 years’ imprisonment for importing 5.75 kilograms of heroin into Nigeria through the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) said on Thursday that the convict, Ms. Will Jessica Ann was arrested on July 6, 2026, after operatives discovered 14 large blocks of heroin weighing 5.75kg concealed in her luggage.
According to the agency, she attempted to evade detection by travelling with her three-year-old son and initially denied checking in any bags before investigators linked the drug-laden suitcases to tags attached to her passport.
The arrest formed part of NDLEA’s ongoing crackdown on transnational drug trafficking networks. Intelligence gathered during the investigation indicated that Ann and her husband, Jan Coenraad De Jager, allegedly operated a drug trafficking syndicate along the Cambodia-South Africa route. Her husband was subsequently arrested in Johannesburg, South Africa, on July 27, 2026, while allegedly attempting to traffic 3.2kg of illicit drugs to Hong Kong.
NDLEA said Ann arrived in Abuja aboard Qatar Airways flight QR1433 from Doha and later admitted ownership of the two bags after officers established they were checked in under her name. She was subsequently arraigned before the Federal High Court, Abuja, on a two-count charge of heroin importation and conspiracy to import the narcotic, to which she pleaded guilty.
Delivering judgment on Thursday, Justice Obiora Atuegwu Egwuatu sentenced her to 15 years imprisonment on the first count and 25 years on the second count, bringing the total sentence to 40 years. The court, however, ordered that the terms run concurrently.
Reacting to the judgment, NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), described the conviction as a strong signal that Nigeria will not serve as a transit or destination point for international drug cartels. He said the case highlights the effectiveness of intelligence sharing between NDLEA and its international partners and reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to strengthening airport interdiction, intelligence-led operations and global collaboration against drug trafficking.
