A Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced a 38-year-old South African woman, Ms Will Jessica Ann, to 40 years in prison for importing 5.75 kilograms of heroin into Nigeria.
Jessica Ann was arrested on July 6, 2026, by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. She had concealed 14 blocks of heroin in her luggage while travelling with her three-year-old son in an attempt to evade security checks.
During passenger clearance on Qatar Airways flight QR 1433 from Doha, NDLEA officers discovered the drugs after linking two checked-in bags to her passport. Initially denying ownership, she later admitted the bags were hers, claiming she had forgotten she checked them in.
Investigations revealed she was part of a transnational drug trafficking network operating along the Cambodian–South African axis with her husband, Jan Coenraad De Jager, who was arrested in Johannesburg on July 27, 2026, while attempting to traffic 3.2 kilograms of illicit drugs to Hong Kong.
Jessica Ann was arraigned on a two-count charge of importation and conspiracy to import heroin. Justice Obiora Atuegwu Egwuatu sentenced her to 15 years on the first count and 25 years on the second, to run concurrently.
Reacting to the judgment, NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), praised the judiciary’s stance:
“This conviction is a firm demonstration of the resolve of the Nigerian judiciary to support the Agency’s war against drug trafficking and a strong deterrent to transnational drug cartels seeking to use Nigeria as a transit or destination point for hard drugs.”
Marwa emphasised that Nigeria will not serve as a “soft landing” for international drug cartels, noting the swift arrest of Jessica Ann’s husband as proof of effective intelligence-sharing with international partners.
“The swift dispensation of justice in this matter, from arrest to conviction, reflects the effectiveness of NDLEA’s operations and its close working relationship with the Federal High Court,” he said.
He further warned that the NDLEA will continue to strengthen airport interdiction, intelligence-led operations, and international collaboration to dismantle drug trafficking networks.
“Anyone, regardless of nationality, caught trafficking illicit drugs through Nigerian territory will face the full weight of the law,” Marwa declared.
