A Nigerian-Australian woman, Binta Abubakar, has been arrested by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) for allegedly trafficking students from Papua New Guinea and forcing them into unpaid labor on farms across Queensland. Abubakar, 56, was arrested on Wednesday at the Brisbane Airport upon arrival from Papua New Guinea, where she was primarily based. Her arrest follows a two-year investigation by the AFP’s Northern Command Human Trafficking Team, which launched a probe into her activities in July 2022 after receiving a tip-off from Queensland Police.
According to the AFP, a group of Papua New Guinea nationals who had moved to Australia to study were instead allegedly forced to work against their will on farms. Abubakar reportedly lured at least 15 Papua New Guinea nationals, aged between 19 and 35, to Australia between March 2021 and July 2023 through her company, BIN Educational Services and Consulting, by offering fake full educational scholarships. The company’s website claimed to offer a “holistic and modern approach to education, training, and employment.” However, police said the reality was far different.
Once in Australia, the students were allegedly coerced into signing a series of legal documents obligating them to repay unspecified “costs associated with tuition, airfares, visa applications, insurance, and legal fees.” To settle these debts, they were reportedly forced to work on fruit farms in Queensland, including in Lockyer Valley and Stanthorpe, often in violation of their visa conditions. According to police, the students were made to work “10 hours a day, seven days a week,” while their wages were allegedly collected and withheld by Abubakar to pay off the so-called debt.
The AFP stated that the farmers did not know of Abubakar’s alleged scheme. The report further alleged that when students resisted or failed to comply, Abubakar threatened to report them to immigration or intimidate their families back home in Papua New Guinea. Abubakar has been charged with 31 offenses, including four counts of trafficking in persons, 14 counts of deceptive recruiting for labor or services, and 13 counts of engaging in conduct that caused a person to enter into debt bondage.
Abubakar was granted conditional bail and is expected to appear in court again on September 19. The AFP Detective Superintendent, Adrian Telfer, condemned the alleged exploitation, stating, “The AFP is committed to protecting vulnerable foreign workers who are targeted by those driven by greed and profits.” He added, “Victims of debt bondage and other human trafficking offenses can be lured to Australia with a promise of a dream career or free education—things they may not have access to in their country of origin.”
Telfer assured the public that the AFP remained focused on victim welfare and urged them to report any suspected exploitation of foreign workers. “The AFP can help people who are exploited. We are focused on ensuring the welfare of victims,” he said. This incident comes less than two months after authorities in western Germany arrested 13 suspected members of a Nigerian mafia group.
