Nigerian anti-drug officials have arrested a 38-year-old South African woman at Abuja’s main airport with a large quantity of heroin hidden in her luggage. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) said the woman, identified as Will Jessica Ann, arrived on a flight from Doha on 6 July while travelling with her three-year-old son.
The seizure forms part of ongoing NDLEA operations at Nigerian airports. According to the agency’s statement, intelligence also points to her alleged role in a wider transnational drug network.
Arrest at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport
NDLEA operatives detained Will Jessica Ann during inward clearance of Qatar Airways flight QR1433 at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja. Officers found 5.75 kilograms of heroin packed into 14 large blocks inside two checked suitcases.
The South African woman initially told officers she had no checked luggage. However, NDLEA staff quickly matched the baggage claim tags on the drug-filled bags to the tags attached to her passport. She then admitted ownership of the bags and said she had forgotten she checked them in.
The NDLEA stated that the woman had travelled from Cambodia through Doha before arriving in Abuja. The agency further claimed she used her three-year-old son as cover to reduce suspicion and avoid thorough screening during the process.
Intelligence links to transnational network
NDLEA investigators said the arrest resulted from intelligence indicating that Will Jessica Ann belongs to a transnational drug trafficking organisation. The agency identified her husband or partner, Jan Coenraad De Jager, as based in Cambodia.
According to the statement, the pair allegedly operate a drug network along the Cambodian-South African axis. The NDLEA presented the seizure as one of several recent successes in its efforts to disrupt supply routes into Nigeria.
Current status and official response
The woman remains in NDLEA custody following the 6 July arrest. No further details on formal charges or court proceedings have been released in the agency’s statement.
No public comment has been issued by South African authorities in response to the arrest. Reports from multiple Nigerian outlets, including Vanguard News and Leadership.ng on 12 July, carried the same NDLEA statement without additional updates from Pretoria.
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