A Nigerian-Australian woman, Binta Abubakar, has been arrested by Australian Federal Police for allegedly trafficking 15 Papua New Guinean students and forcing them into unpaid farm labour across Queensland under false pretences of educational scholarships.

The 56-year-old was arrested at Brisbane Airport following a two-year investigation. Authorities said Abubakar, through her company, BIN Educational Services and Consulting, lured students aged 19 to 35 to Australia between March 2021 and July 2023 with fake scholarship offers.

Once in Australia, the students were allegedly coerced into signing documents binding them to repay supposed costs for tuition and travel. To repay the debt, they were forced to work long hours on fruit farms while their wages were withheld.

Police stated that when students resisted, Abubakar allegedly threatened to report them to immigration or intimidate their families in PNG. She has been charged with 31 offences, including human trafficking, deceptive recruitment, and debt bondage.

Granted conditional bail, Abubakar is due back in court on September 19.

Detective Superintendent Adrian Telfer condemned the exploitation and encouraged victims of trafficking to seek help, noting that traffickers often exploit dreams of education and better opportunities to trap victims in abusive conditions.