Nigerian arrested for trafficking 15 students in Australia

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.

“The farmers did not know of Abubakar’s alleged scheme,” the AFP stated.

The report further alleged that when students resisted or failed to comply, Abubakar threatened to report them to immigration or intimidate their families back home in PNG.

“She would allegedly receive the wages on the workers’ behalf and withhold them.

“If they refused to comply, Abubakar allegedly threatened to have the students deported or intimidated their family in PNG,” the police noted.

Abubakar has been charged with 31 offences, including four counts of trafficking in persons, 14 counts of deceptive recruiting for labour or services, and 13 counts of engaging in conduct that caused a person to enter into debt bondage.

She was granted conditional bail and is expected to appear in court again on September 19.

The AFP Detective, Superintendent Adrian Telfer, condemned the alleged exploitation, stating, “The AFP is committed to protecting vulnerable foreign workers who are targeted by those driven by greed and profits.”

He added, “Victims of debt bondage and other human trafficking offences can be lured to Australia with a promise of a dream career or free education—things they may not have access to in their country of origin.

“If the conditions of that promise change, it can leave victims in an extremely vulnerable situation in a foreign country, where they are likely to have little financial or emotional support and face issues with language barriers.”

Telfer assured the public that the AFP remained focused on victim welfare and urged them to report any suspected exploitation of foreign workers.

“The AFP can help people who are exploited. We are focused on ensuring the welfare of victims,” he said.