Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced a 38-year-old South African woman, Will Jessica Ann, to 25 years in prison for importing 5.75 kilogrammes of heroin into Nigeria.
The convict was arrested after the illegal substance was brought into the country through the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) had arraigned Ann before the Federal High Court, where she pleaded guilty to unlawfully importing the 5.75kg of heroin on July 6.
During Thursday’s proceedings, the convict, who appeared in court with her three-year-old son, reportedly broke down in tears and appealed for mercy.
However, Justice Egwuatu said Nigerian law could not be applied based on emotions, stressing that justice must take its course.
The judge noted that Ann had admitted to the offence in her extrajudicial statement before entering her guilty plea in court.
He further stated that the law was clear that a guilty plea leads to conviction when the offence is established.
Justice Egwuatu subsequently convicted Ann and sentenced her to 25 years in prison for the offence.