South African Woman Arrested for Attempted Heroin Smuggling in Nigeria
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has apprehended 38-year-old South African national Jessica Ann Will, who is accused of attempting to smuggle 5.75 kilograms of heroin into Nigeria via Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) in Abuja.
In an effort to evade detection during security checks, Will was reportedly traveling with her 3-year-old son.
According to a statement released Sunday by Femi Babafemi, Director of Media and Advocacy for the NDLEA, the arrest took place on Monday, July 6, 2026, as passengers disembarked from Qatar Airways flight QR1433, arriving from Doha.
Initially, the suspect denied having checked luggage, but NDLEA officers discovered 14 large blocks of heroin concealed within two suitcases. The agents traced the bags to her after confirming that their tags matched the claim tags associated with her passport.
Will subsequently confessed to investigators that she had traveled from Cambodia to Abuja via Doha. NDLEA claims that information gathered during the investigation indicates her involvement in a transnational drug trafficking network linked to operations between Cambodia and South Africa.
The agency’s statement further suggested that Will is part of a drug trafficking organization along with her husband, Jan Koenrad de Jager, which reportedly operates between Cambodia and South Africa.
Arrest of Commercial Motorcycle Rider Uncovers Methamphetamine Trafficking
In a separate operation, NDLEA officials at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos detained 48-year-old Onyichele Daniel Chinadu, a commercial motorcycle rider who arrived from Madagascar via Addis Ababa aboard Ethiopian Airlines.
A thorough search of Chinadu’s backpack revealed 87 methamphetamine pellets hidden in his clothing. Babafemi stated that the suspect confessed to working as a motorcycle rider in Lagos for 15 years before being drawn into drug trafficking by associates based in Uganda.
Chinadu disclosed that he had ingested methamphetamine pellets in Uganda prior to a planned trip to Madagascar to deliver a drug shipment. However, upon arrival in Madagascar, he was denied entry by immigration officials and subsequently transferred back to Lagos, where he was arrested.
Further investigation led to the discovery that Chinadu had not reported how many drug pellets he had swallowed. From the time of his arrest until July 1, he excreted an additional 13 pellets, bringing the total recovered to 100, weighing in at 1.715 kilograms.
Significant Drug Seizures at Apapa Port and Beyond
Meanwhile, NDLEA agents at the Apapa port in Lagos intercepted a major shipment consisting of 8,287 nylon bags containing Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis. The consignment weighed 4,143.5 kilograms and has an estimated value exceeding N10.3 billion.
This seizure was made possible through several weeks of intelligence-led surveillance and joint inspections involving the NDLEA, Nigeria Customs, and other security agencies, following the containers’ arrival from Montreal, Canada.
Additionally, the agency disclosed that they prevented another attempt to export 2.5 kilograms of skunk hidden inside a gas compressor bound for Cyprus through a Lagos-based courier service.
Ongoing Drug Awareness Initiatives
In addition to enforcement actions, the NDLEA continues its War on Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign, conducting awareness programs in schools and communities in states such as Ebonyi, Kano, Ekiti, and Ogun. Officials from the Zone 14 Command also recently visited Rivers State Governor Siminalai Hubara to discuss advocacy efforts.
Brig. General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retired), Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, presented awards to the officers involved in these operations, commending them for their dual approach of law enforcement and public awareness initiatives.
Marwa emphasized the importance of reducing drug supply while balancing WADA’s educational efforts, urging his team not to become complacent.
