‘Save Me!’ – Young Nigerian Woman Trafficked To Iraq, Brutalised, Forced Into 20-Hour Workdays Without Pay, Begs To Return Home
Allegedly, Odunayo was a victim of human trafficking perpetrated by one Alhaja Yusuf Shakira, notoriously known as Mama Uganda, who deceitfully transported her to Iraq with promises of a better life.
A distressing and heart-wrenching plea for assistance has been issued by a young Nigerian woman, Odunayo Eniola Isaac, who hails from Osun State in the South-West region of Nigeria.
Allegedly, Odunayo was a victim of human trafficking perpetrated by one Alhaja Yusuf Shakira, notoriously known as Mama Uganda, who deceitfully transported her to Iraq with promises of a better life.
Having endured almost two years of inhumane treatment, brutal physical torture, and degrading dehumanization at the hands of her Iraqi employer, Saba Akram, and his spouse, Odunayo’s emotional and psychological well-being has been severely compromised.
Overwhelmed with despair and desperation, she raised the alarm and implored the Nigerian authorities to facilitate her urgent return to Nigeria, lest she loses her life.
Odunayo conveyed the depth of her desperation, stating that if she remains in Iraq for even a short period longer, her very existence will be under threat.
Odunayo, who narrated her ordeal to SaharaReporters through a Nigerian-based human rights advocacy organization, Hopes Haven Foundation, narrated that she was trafficked by Alhaja Shakira to Iraq a year and 10 months ago through an Iraqi agency identified as Blend Warani, with a promise of a job opportunity.
Odunayo, who was at the Iraqi immigration on Monday when she briefly spoke to SaharaReporters and confirmed that she was still alive, said at some point, her employer’s wife attempted to kill her with an iron rod and hot water but she narrowly escaped to a nearest police station where she has been in detention.
According to her story, she left Nigeria in February 2023 to work as a domestic help in Iraq.
Upon her arrival in Iraq, Odunayo was subjected to deplorable and inhumane working conditions, characterized by excessively long work hours of up to 20 hours daily.
The situation was further exacerbated by the constant and severe physical torture reportedly inflicted upon her by her employer, Saba Akram, and his wife. The couple’s brutal tactics allegedly included the use of tasers and metal rods to inflict physical harm and intimidate Odunayo into submission.
In addition to the physical abuse, Odunayo was also subjected to emotional and psychological torment. She said her employer seized her phone, effectively severing her connection with her family and friends. This deliberate isolation prevented her from communicating her distress and pleas for help to anyone who could potentially intervene on her behalf.
According to her, in July 2023, her employer falsely accused her of running away, despite the fact that she was being held captive in the house and subjected to relentless torture and death threats.
“I was locked inside the house where I was working and my phone was seized. They seized my passport and all my clothes and everything,” she lamented.
“I was constantly beaten with iron rods and I was always made to work from 6am to 3am or 4am the following day. I hardly sleep for more than three or four hours daily.”
Following the false accusation of attempting to escape, the employment agency, Blend Warani, reportedly refunded the employer’s payment, abandoning Odunayo to her plight. Despite her prolonged suffering, Odunayo had not received any salary since commencing her employment in February 2023.
Determined to locate their missing loved one, Odunayo’s family embarked on an extensive search. Their efforts eventually led them to contact Hopes Haven Foundation in October 2023. Upon launching an investigation, the foundation discovered a disturbing video circulating on WhatsApp groups, showcasing Odunayo in a state of distress.
Further inquiry by Hopes Haven Foundation revealed that Odunayo had mustered the courage to report to a police station in Iraq, where she filed a complaint detailing her harrowing experiences of maltreatment, torture, and kidnapping.
Odunayo said that she has suffered broken fingers, and endured restricted freedom, and severe physical and psychological trauma.
On Monday when she spoke briefly with SaharaReporters from the Iraqi immigration centre, Odunayo said, “My madam was beating me as she did all the time and when she left to get hot water to pour on me, I managed to escape and ran to the police station.
“I have been at the police station since last Wednesday when I escaped. Alhaja Shakira was the one who helped me connect to my sisters to tell them what is happening. She (Shakira) also promised to bring her lawyer to help me but I have not seen her since then.
“She always locked me inside and beat me with an iron rod. There is nothing they did not do to me. In fact, they wanted to kill me. They locked me inside the house and claimed that I was fine.”
Regarding the situation at the immigration centre, she said, “One of the police officers brought me here today but since we came, nobody has attended to me and I don’t know what we came to do. I don’t even know where the police officer is now.
“I want to go back home (Nigeria) but my employer has my passport and all my belongings and for the past one year and 10 months that I have worked for them, they have not paid me anything at all.”
Hopes Haven Foundation has characterized Odunayo’s case as a grave and alarming example of severe human rights violations, labour exploitation, and suspected human trafficking.
According to the foundation, Odunayo’s ordeal exemplifies the worst forms of abuse and mistreatment.
An official of the organization told SaharaReporters that they have written to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), and the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Diaspora, Hon. Tochukwu Okere, for urgent intervention.
In its letter sent to the Director General of NAPTIP and also to the lawmaker, Okere, dated November 16, 2024, the organization said, “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.
“We hereby appeal to your esteemed office to: Ensure the recovery of all salaries owed to Odunayo and demand compensation for her medical expenses and the psychological damage caused by this ordeal.
“Hold the employer accountable for torture, false allegations, and other violations of human rights and labor laws.
“Facilitate the safe return of Odunayo to Nigeria to reunite her with her family and provide necessary support for her reintegration.”
“This matter underscores the urgent need to strengthen protections for Nigerian citizens seeking employment abroad and ensure justice for victims of trafficking and labor exploitation,” it further noted.
“We trust in NAPTIP’s commitment to protecting Nigerian lives and dignity, and we stand ready to provide further details or support your investigations in this case.”
On Monday, SaharaReporters reached out to Alhaja Shakira, requesting a detailed explanation regarding Odunayo’s whereabouts, the legal procedures employed to transport her from Nigeria to Iraq, and relevant documentation, including her travel agency license.
Additionally, our reporter inquired about Alhaja Shakira’s knowledge of Odunayo’s current situation and her efforts to ensure the victim’s swift and safe repatriation to Nigeria.
However, Alhaja Shakira claimed to have just returned from the hospital where she received treatment for high blood pressure. She claimed to be experiencing drowsiness and weakness due to her condition, rendering her unable to engage in a meaningful conversation.
Shakira confirmed be in Nigeria at the time.
“I’m in Nigeria. I’m drowsy because of the medicine and injection I took,” adding that as for the details SaharaReporters asked for, “I have it on my business phone at home.”
SaharaReporters accommodated Alhaja Shakira’s request for time to rest, allowing her several hours to recover. Later that evening, Alhaja Shakira sent a message to SaharaReporters, stating, “I am a little better now.”
However, despite her claimed improvement, Alhaja Shakira failed to provide the requested information. SaharaReporters reiterated their questions, but she remained unresponsive, neither providing answers nor offering an explanation for her silence.
When SaharaReporters contacted the Nigerians in the Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) for comments, its Head of Media Unit, Abdulrahman Balogun, described Odunayo’s case as human trafficking.
He said, “She is a trafficked person, so NAPTIP handles the matter. Another agency is the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI). Those are the two commissions assisting in such a case.
“Because this person in question is not a diaspora. She is a trafficked person.”
Considering that Nigeria does not have an embassy in Iraq, SaharaReporters asked Balogun how NiDCOM handles cases of eligible diaspora Nigerians who have issues in countries where Nigeria does not have an embassy.
He said, “Even if we don’t have an embassy, we have Nigerians and they form themselves into communities.
“There is something we call NIDO, Nigerians in the Diaspora Organization. They are always in every community, though that is the umbrella body. Some amorphous groups also exist like Arewa group, Oduduwa group, social-cultural groups, religious groups, students’ groups and professional groups.
“We have been encouraging Nigerians to please belong to one group so that if there is a problem, the group will first rally around you and get in touch with us (NiDCOM).”
Citing Cyprus as an example of a country where Nigeria does not have an embassy, Balogun noted that NiDCOM has resolved many issues in such countries through the activities of such groups in conjunction with the Commission.
When contacted, the spokesperson for NAPTIP, Vincent Adekoye, who denied prior knowledge of the matter, said, “I am just hearing this from you now. Since you said an NGO had written to us about it, get in touch with the NGO, let’s have a copy of the letter they wrote that they sent to us. Let’s have a copy of the letter so that we could get all her details, her location and everything about her to enable us to respond appropriately.”
When SaharaReporters forwarded a copy of the Hopes Haven Foundation’s letter to him on WhatsApp, he acknowledged and said, “I will get back to you please.”
