After enduring nearly two years of inhumane treatment and brutalisation in Iraq, a 28-year-old Nigerian woman, Odunayo Eniola Isaac, planned to return home on Friday, January 3, 2025.
Odunayo, who hails from Osun State, became the focus of public and diplomatic attention following a report by SaharaReporters detailing her harrowing ordeal in the Middle Eastern country.
The intervention of the Nigerian mission in Jordan, which oversees Iraq, facilitated her rescue and imminent return.
Odunayo was trafficked to Iraq in February 2023 by one Alhaja Yusuf Shakira, infamously known as “Mama Uganda,” under the false promise of better job opportunities.
Upon arrival, she was handed over to an Iraqi agency, Blend Warani, which placed her with an employer, Saba Akram.
Instead of a stable job, Odunayo was subjected to grueling 20-hour workdays without pay. Her ordeal included severe physical torture inflicted by her employer and his wife, who allegedly used tasers and metal rods to abuse her.
At one point, the employer’s wife attempted to kill her with an iron rod and hot water. She narrowly escaped and sought refuge at a police station.
Odunayo’s phone was confiscated, isolating her from friends and family. She later accused her employer of falsely branding her a runaway while holding her captive and subjecting her to relentless torture.
In December 2024, through a Nigerian-based human rights group, Hopes Haven Foundation, Odunayo issued a desperate plea for help.
Speaking, she described her plight and the life-threatening conditions she faced.
“I was almost killed several times. If I stay here any longer, I may not survive,” she said, her voice heavy with despair.
The Nigerian Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) stepped in after the report went public. Abdulrahman Balogun, the Head of NiDCOM’s Media Unit, confirmed that Odunayo departed Baghdad via EgyptAir on Thursday evening and was scheduled to arrive in Abuja today at 1:30 pm after transiting through Cairo.
Balogun also revealed that NiDCOM is investigating the suspicious death of another Nigerian trafficked to Iraq as a caregiver, demanding an autopsy to ascertain the cause of death.
NiDCOM has issued a stern warning to Nigerians, particularly young women, against falling prey to traffickers promising jobs in Iraq and similar destinations.
“Unscrupulous agents are luring young women with fake promises, leading them into slavery and prostitution,” Balogun cautioned.
Odunayo’s case highlights the dangers of human trafficking and the need for stronger measures to protect Nigerians abroad.
Her return is a testament to the power of advocacy and the importance of swift government action in addressing such cases.
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