Nigerian National Arrested in Australia Over Alleged Trafficking of 15 Students

A Nigerian-Australian woman, Binta Abubakar, has been arrested by Australian Federal Police (AFP) for allegedly trafficking students from Papua New Guinea (PNG) into Australia and subjecting them to forced labour under the pretense of offering educational scholarships.

The 56-year-old woman was detained at Brisbane Airport on Wednesday after arriving from Papua New Guinea, where she had been residing. Her arrest follows a two-year investigation led by the AFP’s Northern Command Human Trafficking Team, which began probing her activities in July 2022 after a tip-off from Queensland Police.

Authorities allege that Nigerian-Australian woman, who holds dual citizenship, lured at least 15 young adults from PNG—aged between 19 and 35—to Australia between March 2021 and July 2023. Through her business, BIN Educational Services and Consulting, she is accused of offering fake scholarships to entice students with the promise of fully funded education opportunities in Australia.

Once the students arrived, however, the reality sharply diverged from what they had been promised. According to police reports, the victims were compelled to sign a series of binding legal documents upon arrival, obligating them to repay various fees allegedly related to tuition, travel, visa applications, insurance, and legal services. These documents created a substantial and undefined debt that the students were required to repay through manual labour.

Nigerian-Australian Woman Arrested in Australia for Allegedly Trafficking Students from Papua New Guinea

Rather than receiving an education, the students were allegedly sent to work on fruit farms in rural Queensland, including regions such as the Lockyer Valley and Stanthorpe. Police say the students were made to work grueling hours—10 hours a day, seven days a week—in breach of their visa conditions. They were paid for their labour, but their earnings were allegedly collected by Nigerian-Australian woman herself and withheld to offset their supposed debts.

The AFP emphasised that the farms involved in the scheme were unaware of the trafficking operation and did not knowingly participate in the exploitation.

“The farmers did not know of a Nigerian-Australian woman alleged scheme,” the AFP stated in its report.

The company website of BIN Educational Services portrayed the business as a provider of “a holistic and modern approach to education, training, and employment,” but investigators have now painted a disturbing picture of coercion and deception behind that public image.

The AFP further alleges that when students questioned their treatment or resisted instructions, Abubakar threatened them with deportation. In some cases, she is accused of using intimidation tactics against the students’ families back in PNG to ensure compliance.

“She would allegedly receive the wages on the workers’ behalf and withhold them. If they refused to comply,Nigerian-Australian woman allegedly threatened to have the students deported or intimidated their family in PNG,” the police statement read.

Abubakar now faces 31 criminal charges, including four counts of trafficking in persons, 14 counts of deceptive recruiting for labour or services, and 13 counts of conduct resulting in debt bondage—a criminal offense under Australian law. She was granted conditional bail and is scheduled to appear in court on September 19.

AFP Detective Superintendent Adrian Telfer strongly condemned the alleged actions, calling them a grave violation of the rights and dignity of vulnerable individuals.

“The AFP is committed to protecting vulnerable foreign workers who are targeted by those driven by greed and profit,” Telfer said.

“Victims of debt bondage and other human trafficking offences can be lured to Australia with the 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 encouraged the public to come forward with any suspicions of labour exploitation or human trafficking.

“The AFP can help people who are exploited. We are focused on ensuring the welfare of victims. If you see something that doesn’t seem right, report it,” he urged.

This disturbing case comes less than two months after law enforcement in Germany arrested 13 alleged members of a Nigerian criminal network involved in human trafficking and other organized crimes, highlighting a troubling trend in international exploitation rings.

Authorities continue to investigate the extent of A Nigerian-Australian woman’s network and whether more victims have yet to be identified.