“Help Me!” – Nigerian woman trafficked to Iraq, tortured, forced into 20-hour workdays, cries for rescue

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After suffering horrendous maltreatment in Iraq for almost two years, Odunayo Eniola Isaac, a young Nigerian woman from Osun State in South-West Nigeria, has made a fervent appeal for help.

Alhaja Yusuf Shakira, popularly known as Mama Uganda, is accused of orchestrating Odunayo’s human trafficking, deceiving her with promises of a better life overseas.

Odunayo described how her boss, Saba Akram, and his wife subjected her to cruel physical torture, barbaric treatment, and constant dehumanisation. Fearing that her life would be in danger if she stayed in Iraq, she pleaded with Nigerian authorities to act right away.

Through the Nigerian human rights advocacy group Hopes Haven Foundation, Odunayo sobbedly recalled, “I am certain I will lose my life if I stay here any longer.” 

After being enticed by Alhaja Shakira and an Iraqi organisation, Blend Warani, with the prospect of a domestic job opportunity, Odunayo departed Nigeria in February 2023. Odunayo, however, had to endure horrendous working circumstances after arriving in Iraq. Her predicament was made worse by the extreme physical abuse she endured at the hands of her employers, who made her labour up to 20 hours a day with little sleep.

Odunayo said that her employer’s wife had once attacked her with a hot water and iron rod in an attempt to kill her. She barely made it to a local police station and has been held there ever since.

She described how her phone, clothes, and passport were confiscated when she arrived, preventing her from contacting her family and separating her from any support. She has not received her pay for working for almost two years, and she has been wrongly accused of trying to flee.

“I was locked inside the house where I worked, and my phone was seized. They beat me with iron rods constantly and made me work from 6 a.m. to 3 or 4 a.m. the following day. I hardly slept for more than three or four hours daily,” she lamented.

The Blend Warani agency refunded the employer and left her to her destiny when her employer falsely accused her of escaping in July 2023. Odunayo barely survived another attack, but he was able to escape to a police station despite going through unimaginable pain.

Odunayo stated from the Iraqi immigration centre, where she is still detained under unknown circumstances, “I want to go back home to Nigeria, but my employer has my passport and belongings. For almost two years, I have not been paid anything.”

In October 2023, her family called Hopes Haven Foundation, worried about her safety. A frightening video of Odunayo in distress was discovered during the foundation’s inquiry and was making the rounds on WhatsApp.

The organisation requested immediate action from the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and Hon. Tochukwu Okere, the chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Diaspora.

Odunayo’s experience was characterised by the Hopes Haven Foundation as a stark illustration of labour exploitation, human rights abuses, and human trafficking. The foundation requested prompt action in letters to Hon. Okere and NAPTIP, stating: 

Repayment of Odunayo’s entire salary as well as damages for his physical and mental health.

Accountability for her employers’ abuses of labour laws, torture, and false accusations.

Enabling Odunayo to return to Nigeria safely and support for her reintegration.

“We are deeply outraged that a Nigerian citizen, in pursuit of a livelihood, was subjected to such gross violations of human dignity and labor rights,” the letter stated.

The foundation stressed the need for more robust protections for Nigerians looking for work overseas and urged NAPTIP to uphold justice.

Alhaja Shakira claimed to be ill with high blood pressure and offered to give paperwork later when SaharaReporters called her for clarification on Odunayo’s situation and her involvement in the trafficking operation. But she didn’t answer any further questions when I followed up.

The National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI) and NAPTIP are in charge of such cases, according to the Nigerians in the Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), which recognised the case as human trafficking. Abdulrahman Balogun, Head of the Media Unit of NiDCOM, stressed the value of Nigerians living overseas joining formal organisations like the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO) to help during times of need.

Vincent Adekoye, the spokesperson for NAPTIP, said that he was ignorant of the situation but promised to take action once he had more information. He pledged to follow up after acknowledging receipt of a letter from the Hopes Haven Foundation.

Odunayo’s experience highlights the dangers human trafficking victims confront and the pressing need for strict policies to safeguard Nigerians who are at risk. Her tale continues to be a troubling illustration of the exploitation that many people who travel overseas in quest of better chances endure.

To guarantee her safe return and justice for the abuses she endured, the Hopes Haven Foundation and relevant authorities are banding together.

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