A South African woman, Will Ann, has pleaded guilty to conspiring to import and unlawfully bringing 5.75 kilogrammes of heroin into Nigeria through the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
Ann, who was arraigned before the Federal High Court in Abuja on a two-count charge filed by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), admitted to the offences on Wednesday.
She was charged alongside a South African man, Jan De Jager, who the prosecution identified as her alleged accomplice and said is currently at large.
The first count accuses Ann and De Jager of conspiring to import 5.75kg of heroin into Nigeria on July 6, 2026, while the second count charges Ann with the unlawful importation of the same quantity of heroin.
According to the charge on Wednesday, the alleged offences were committed at the arrival hall of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport during the inward clearance of Qatar Airways flight QR1433 from Doha to Abuja.
The prosecution said Ann and De Jager, without lawful authority, conspired to import the illicit drug into Nigeria, contrary to Section 14 of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, 2004.
Under the provision, anyone convicted of conspiracy to commit an offence under the Act may be sentenced to between 15 and 25 years in prison.
The second count was brought under Section 11(a) of the NDLEA Act, which prohibits the unlawful importation of dangerous drugs and provides for life imprisonment upon conviction.
Following Ann’s guilty plea, the prosecuting counsel, A.G. Yuanyam, asked the court to allow him to proceed with a review of the facts of the case.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu, however, questioned the urgency of the prosecution’s request, prompting Yuanyam to explain that the issue was connected to the custody of Ann’s three-year-old son, who was arrested with her.
The prosecutor told the court that the child had remained in NDLEA custody alongside his mother since her arrest and that the agency was seeking to transfer him to the care of officials of the South African High Commission in Nigeria.
In response, Justice Egwuatu directed the prosecution to file a formal application addressing the child’s custody.
The court subsequently adjourned the matter until September 8, 2026, for the review of the facts of the case.