Nigerian arrested for trafficking 15 students in Australia

Australian police officer

A Nigerian-Australian woman, Binta Abubakar, has been arrested by the Australian Federal Police for allegedly trafficking students from Papua New Guinea and forcing them into unpaid labour on farms across Queensland under the guise of educational scholarships.

Abubakar, 56, was arrested on Wednesday at the Brisbane Airport upon arrival from Papua New Guinea, where she was primarily based.

Her arrest follows a two-year investigation by the AFP’s Northern Command Human Trafficking Team, which launched a probe into her activities in July 2022 after receiving a tip-off from Queensland Police.

According to the AFP, “A group of PNG nationals who had moved to Australia to study were instead allegedly forced to work against their will on farms.”

The dual citizen reportedly lured at least 15 PNG nationals, aged between 19 and 35, to Australia between March 2021 and July 2023 through her company, BIN Educational Services and Consulting, by offering fake full educational scholarships.

The report disclosed that her company’s website claimed to offer a “holistic and modern approach to education, training, and employment.”

However, police said the reality was far different.

Once in Australia, the students were allegedly coerced into signing a series of legal documents obligating them to repay unspecified “costs associated with tuition, airfares, visa applications, insurance, and legal fees.”

To settle these debts, they were reportedly forced to work on fruit farms in Queensland, including in Lockyer Valley and Stanthorpe, often in violation of their visa conditions.

According to police, the students were made to work “10 hours a day, seven days a week,” while their wages were allegedly collected and withheld by Abubakar to pay off the so-called debt.