NIGERIAN WOMAN ARRESTED FOR TRAFFICKING 15 STUDENTS IN AUSTRALIA.

A 56-year-old Nigerian-Australian woman, Binta Abubakar, has been arrested in Australia for allegedly trafficking students from Papua New Guinea (PNG) and forcing them into unpaid labor on farms in Queensland. 

Abubakar, who ran a company called BIN Educational Services and Consulting, allegedly lured at least 15 PNG nationals to Australia with fake educational scholarships between 2021 and 2023.

According to reports, the students were coerced into working long hours on farms to pay off debts for tuition, airfares, and other costs, while Abubakar allegedly collected and withheld their wages, and threatened to report them to immigration or intimidate their families if they resisted.

Abubakar, who has been charged with 31 offenses, including human trafficking, deceptive recruiting, and debt bondage, was granted conditional bail and is set to appear in court on September 19. 

The Australian Federal Police have condemned the alleged exploitation and urged victims to come forward with their evidence.

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