A Nigerian-Australian woman, Binta Abubakar, has been arrested by the Australian Federal Police for allegedly trafficking students from Papua New Guinea and forcing them into unpaid labour on farms across Queensland under the guise of educational scholarships.
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 PNG nationals who had moved to Australia to study were instead allegedly forced to work against their will on farms.”