A Federal High Court in Abuja, on Thursday September 17, sentenced a 38-year-old South African woman, Will Ann, to 25 years in prison for unlawfully importing 5.75kg of heroin into Nigeria.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu convicted Ann after she pleaded guilty to the offence. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) had arrested her at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, in July while travelling from Doha on a Qatar Airways flight with her three-year-old son.
The court noted that Ann had also admitted to the offence in her extrajudicial statement. While pleading for leniency, she expressed remorse, promised not to repeat the offence and claimed she did not know the bag contained illicit drugs.
Justice Egwuatu sentenced her to 15 years on one count and 25 years on another, with the terms to run concurrently. He said the law could not be influenced by emotions and ordered that the heroin be destroyed if Ann does not appeal within the period prescribed by law.
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