A 56-year-old woman with dual Australian and Nigerian citizenship Binta Abubakar, has been arrested in Australia for trafficking 15 students from Papua New Guinea (PNG).Nigeria: Nigerian fashion
The woman whose name is not disclosed, has been charged with multiple counts of human trafficking, deceptive recruiting, and debt bondage offences.
The woman, who was based primarily in Papua New Guinea (PNG), was arrested at Brisbane Airport on June 11, 2025, after arriving on a flight from PNG.
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) alleges that between March 2021 and July 2023, the woman lured 15 PNG nationals to Australia with promises of full educational scholarships. However, upon arrival, the students were allegedly forced to sign documents agreeing to repay costs associated with tuition, airfares, visa applications, insurance, and legal fees, which placed them in excessive debt.
The woman allegedly forced the PNG nationals to work on farms in Queensland, often in contravention of their visas, and received their wages on their behalf. She then withheld the wages from the workers as repayments for their debts.
The woman has been charged with four counts of trafficking in persons, carrying a maximum penalty of 12 years’ imprisonment; 14 counts of deceptive recruiting for labour or services, carrying a maximum penalty of seven years’ imprisonment, and 13 counts of engaging in conduct that caused a person to enter into debt bondage, carrying a maximum penalty of four years’ imprisonment.
