Nigerian-Australian Woman Accused of Trafficking 15 Students for Farm Labour in Australia

A 56-year-old woman, Binta Abubakar, has been arrested by Australian police for allegedly tricking students from Papua New Guinea (PNG) into forced labour instead of offering them the education she promised.

Abubakar, who holds both Nigerian and Australian citizenship, was picked up at Brisbane Airport after flying in from PNG. Her arrest is the result of a two-year investigation by the Australian Federal Police (AFP), which began after a tip-off in 2022.

Authorities say she brought at least 15 young people from PNG to Australia between 2021 and 2023 using a company called BIN Educational Services and Consulting. On paper, the students were told they had received full scholarships to study in Australia. But once they arrived, the reality was very different.

According to police, the students were forced to sign contracts filled with unclear debts, including fees for flights, visas, and legal services. To pay this off, they were allegedly made to work long hours, 10 hours a day, every day, on farms in places like Lockyer Valley and Stanthorpe, in Queensland. Farmers reportedly didn’t know the students were being exploited.

Worse still, the wages were not paid directly to the students. Instead, Abubakar is accused of collecting their pay and keeping it. Those who complained or tried to resist were allegedly threatened with deportation or had their families in PNG intimidated.

Abubakar is now facing 31 criminal charges, including human trafficking, deceptive recruitment, and debt bondage. She has been granted conditional bail and is scheduled to appear in court again on September 19.

An AFP official, Superintendent Adrian Telfer, condemned the exploitation, saying that foreign students and workers often fall victim to false promises. “They’re lured by dreams of education or good jobs, but when those dreams are taken away, they’re left vulnerable in a foreign country,” he said.

Telfer encouraged the public to report any suspected cases of forced labour or exploitation. He stressed that the AFP is committed to protecting victims and ensuring they get help.