A 38-year-old South African woman, Ms Will Jessica Ann, has been sentenced to a total of 40 years in prison for importing 5.75 kilograms of heroin into Nigeria.

The conviction followed her arrest by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja after officers discovered the illicit substance concealed in her luggage.

Jessica Ann was arrested on July 6, 2026, during the inward clearance of passengers arriving at the airport on Qatar Airways flight QR 1433 from Doha.

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According to the NDLEA, officers discovered 14 large blocks of heroin weighing 5.75kg inside two of her checked-in bags. The agency said she had travelled with her three-year-old son, which investigators said was used as part of an attempt to avoid thorough security screening.

The suspect initially denied checking in any luggage. However, NDLEA operatives reportedly established that the tags attached to the two bags containing the drugs corresponded with the claim tags attached to her passport.

Following the discovery, she admitted ownership of the bags and reportedly told officers that she had forgotten that she checked them in.

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The South African national told investigators that she had travelled from Cambodia through Doha before arriving in Abuja.

Further intelligence gathered during the investigation allegedly linked her to a transnational drug trafficking network operating along the Cambodia-South Africa route.

The NDLEA said her husband or partner, Jan Coenraad De Jager, was also arrested in Johannesburg, South Africa, on July 27, 2026. According to the agency, he was arrested while allegedly attempting to traffic 3.2kg of an illicit drug to Hong Kong.

Jessica Ann was subsequently arraigned before the Federal High Court in Abuja in suit number FHC/ABJ/CR/422/2026.

She faced a two-count charge bordering on conspiracy to import 5.75kg of heroin and the importation of the same quantity into Nigeria.

The defendant pleaded guilty to the charges before Justice Obiora Atuegwu Egwuatu.

In his judgment delivered on Thursday, September 17, 2026, Justice Egwuatu convicted Jessica Ann and sentenced her to 15 years imprisonment on the first count and 25 years on the second count.

The two sentences, however, will run concurrently, meaning the effective period of imprisonment is 25 years rather than 40 years served consecutively.

Reacting to the judgment, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), described the decision as an indication of the judiciary’s support for the agency’s efforts against drug trafficking.

Marwa said the conviction should serve as a deterrent to international drug trafficking organisations seeking to use Nigeria as either a destination or transit route for illicit drugs.

He maintained that Nigeria would not provide a safe route for transnational drug cartels and said the case demonstrated the importance of intelligence-led enforcement operations.

The NDLEA boss also highlighted the subsequent arrest of De Jager in South Africa, describing it as evidence of cooperation between Nigerian authorities and international law-enforcement partners.

According to Marwa, information sharing between agencies and countries remains important in tracking trafficking networks that operate across multiple jurisdictions.

He further commended the judicial process, noting that the case moved from arrest to conviction through cooperation between the NDLEA and the Federal High Court.

Marwa said the agency would continue to strengthen airport interdiction, intelligence operations and international cooperation to disrupt drug trafficking networks.

He also warned that anyone caught trafficking illicit drugs through Nigeria, regardless of nationality, would be prosecuted under the law.