A Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced a 38-year-old South African woman, Will Ann, to 25 years in prison after she pleaded guilty to importing 5.75kg of heroin into Nigeria.

Ann was arrested at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, in July while travelling with her three-year-old son.

The arrest occurred during the inward clearance of passengers aboard Qatar Airways Flight QR1433 from Doha, where the illicit substance was discovered.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) subsequently arraigned Ann before the court in August over the offence, which occurred on July 6

Before the court, Ann pleaded guilty to unlawfully importing the 5.75 kilogrammes of heroin into the country.

Delivering judgment, Justice Obiora Egwuatu noted that Ann had also admitted committing the offence in her extrajudicial statement before entering her guilty plea.

The judge held that the law provides that a conviction follows a plea of guilty and consequently convicted her.

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

Ann, in her plea for leniency, promised not to engage in such an act again.

She also expressed remorse and claimed that she did not know that illicit drugs were contained in the bag.

After considering the submissions and her plea, Justice Egwuatu said “crime does not pay” and that the law is not influenced by “emotions.”

The court subsequently sentenced Ann to 15 years’ imprisonment on Count 1 and 25 years on Count 2, directing that both terms run concurrently.

Justice Egwuatu further ordered that the seized heroin be destroyed if Ann does not appeal within the period prescribed by law.

The case was prosecuted by the NDLEA