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Odunayo Eniola Isaac, a younger Nigerian girl from Osun State, South-West Nigeria, has issued a determined plea for help after enduring almost two years of horrific abuse in Iraq. Odunayo was reportedly a sufferer of human trafficking orchestrated by one Alhaja Yusuf Shakira, also called Mama Uganda, who allegedly deceived her with guarantees of a greater life overseas.
Odunayo narrated her ordeal, marked by inhumane therapy, brutal bodily torture, and relentless dehumanization by the hands of her employer, Saba Akram, and his spouse. She implored Nigerian authorities to intervene instantly, fearing that her life is in danger if she stays in Iraq.
“I’m sure I’ll lose my life if I keep right here any longer,” Odunayo tearfully recounted by means of Hopes Haven Basis, a Nigerian-based human rights advocacy group.
A Tragic Journey of Betrayal and Exploitation
In February 2023, Odunayo left Nigeria after being lured by Alhaja Shakira and an Iraqi company, Mix Warani, with the promise of a home job alternative. Nonetheless, upon arrival in Iraq, Odunayo was subjected to harrowing working situations. Pressured to work as much as 20 hours day by day with minimal sleep, her plight was additional compounded by the extreme bodily abuse inflicted by her employers.
Odunayo alleged that her employer’s spouse as soon as tried to kill her by attacking her with an iron rod and sizzling water. She narrowly escaped to a close-by police station, the place she has been detained since.
She revealed how her passport, garments, and telephone had been seized upon arrival, reducing off all communication together with her household and isolating her from any assist. Her wages for almost two years of labor haven’t been paid, and she or he has been accused falsely of trying to flee.
“I used to be locked inside the home the place I labored, and my telephone was seized. They beat me with iron rods consistently and made me work from 6 a.m. to three or 4 a.m. the next day. I hardly slept for greater than three or 4 hours day by day,” she lamented.
Determined Escape and Ongoing Trauma
In July 2023, her employer falsely accused her of fleeing, prompting the Mix Warani company to refund the employer and abandon her to her destiny. Regardless of enduring unspeakable struggling, Odunayo managed to flee to a police station after narrowly surviving one other assault.
From the Iraqi immigration middle, the place she stays beneath unclear circumstances, Odunayo stated, “I wish to return house to Nigeria, however my employer has my passport and belongings. For nearly two years, I’ve not been paid something.”
Her household, involved for her security, contacted Hopes Haven Basis in October 2023. The muse’s investigation uncovered a disturbing video of Odunayo in misery, circulating on WhatsApp. The group wrote to the Nationwide Company for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Individuals (NAPTIP) and the Chairman of the Home of Representatives Committee on Diaspora, Hon. Tochukwu Okere, for pressing intervention.
Advocacy Efforts and Name for Justice
Hopes Haven Basis described Odunayo’s ordeal as a obtrusive instance of human rights violations, labor exploitation, and trafficking. In its letters to NAPTIP and Hon. Okere, the inspiration demanded swift motion, together with:
Restoration of all wages owed to Odunayo and compensation for medical and psychological damages.
Accountability for her employers for torture, false allegations, and labor regulation violations.
Facilitation of Odunayo’s secure return to Nigeria and help for her reintegration.
“We’re deeply outraged {that a} Nigerian citizen, in pursuit of a livelihood, was subjected to such gross violations of human dignity and labor rights,” the letter acknowledged.
The muse urged NAPTIP to make sure justice whereas highlighting the necessity for stronger protections for Nigerians in search of employment overseas.
Responses from Authorities
When SaharaReporters contacted Alhaja Shakira for clarification on Odunayo’s plight and her position within the trafficking operation, she claimed to be unwell as a result of hypertension and promised to supply documentation later. Nonetheless, regardless of follow-up inquiries, she failed to reply additional.
The Nigerians within the Diaspora Fee (NiDCOM) acknowledged the case as human trafficking, noting that NAPTIP and the Nationwide Fee for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Individuals (NCFRMI) are chargeable for such issues. NiDCOM’s Head of Media Unit, Abdulrahman Balogun, emphasised the significance of Nigerians overseas belonging to organized teams, such because the Nigerians in Diaspora Group (NIDO), to facilitate help in occasions of disaster.
NAPTIP’s spokesperson, Vincent Adekoye, expressed unawareness of the matter however pledged to behave after receiving particulars. He acknowledged a letter from Hopes Haven Basis and promised to comply with up.
A Grim Reminder
Odunayo’s ordeal underscores the perils confronted by victims of human trafficking and the pressing want for stringent measures to guard susceptible Nigerians. Her case stays a disturbing testomony to the exploitation confronted by many in the hunt for higher alternatives overseas.
Hopes Haven Basis and anxious authorities are rallying to make sure her secure return and justice for the abuses she suffered.
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