EXCLUSIVE: Nigerian Woman Trafficked To Iraq Allegedly Locked In Dark Room, Passport Seized As Employer Withholds Salary, $800 For Flight Home

Her household, which spoke with SaharaReporters on Sunday, mentioned that Tawakalitu’s company gathered $800 from her after assuring to organize a flight ticket for her to go back to Nigeria for her daddy’s burial however consequently subjected her to more limitations and mistreatment.

The household of a Nigerian lady recognized as Tawakalitu Morenikeji Oyedeji, who was supposedly trafficked to Baghdad, Iraq, is looking for federal government help to develop her location, guarantee her security, recuperate her overdue incomes for August and September totaling up to $500, and protect her go back to Nigeria following the death of her dad.

Her company was determined as Eng. Asma, an engineer dealing with Al Jumairah Group (likewise frequently described as Al Jumairah for Engineering and General Contracting), a popular Iraqi business headquartered in Baghdad, Iraq

Her household, which talked to SaharaReporters on Sunday, specified that Tawakalitu’s company gathered $800 from her after guaranteeing to set up a flight ticket for her to go back to Nigeria for her daddy’s burial however consequently subjected her to additional constraints and mistreatment.

The household likewise described that she was secured a dark space for 3 days without food or water, had her phone removed from her and was threatened with being moved to another family to work for an extra 2 years versus her dreams.

According to the household, Tawakalitu signed a two-year employment agreement before taking a trip to Iraq and had actually worked for roughly one year and 4 months, with some extra days, at the time the events happened.

The household stated she had just a couple of months delegated finish her agreement and was keeping an eye on her work duration. By October 27, 2026 Oyedeji, she would have finished one year and 5 months under the contract.

They discussed that Tawakalitu worked every early morning at the area where she had actually been designated, performing her responsibilities in the workplace where her employer worked.

Her scenarios supposedly altered after she notified her company that she had an emergency situation at home and required to return to Nigeria.

The household stated Tawakalitu comprehended that her company may decline to spend for her return ticket due to the fact that she had actually not finished the two-year agreement. She for that reason asked just how much she would require to pay to protect a flight home.

According to the account supplied by her household, she was informed that the ticket would cost $700, while her company’s supervisor supposedly used to contribute $300, leaving her to offer the staying$400.

Tawakalitu paid the very first$400 as asked for. The following day, she was apparently notified that she required to pay another$ 400.

The household stated she consequently paid the extra quantity, bringing the overall cash gathered from her for the assured travel plans to $800.

In addition to the cash gathered for the ticket, her company supposedly kept her incomes for August and September, totaling up to $500.

The household stated the combined quantity included was for that reason $1,300, making up the$800 gathered from Tawakkaltu and the$ 500 in overdue incomes.

Dad’s Death Deepens Her Distress

The household stated Tawakalitu’s choice to return home was triggered by her dad’s degrading health and subsequent death.

According to the account, her dad had actually ended up being seriously ill and needed surgical treatment. Due to the fact that her incomes were kept, Tawakalitu might not send out cash home to support his treatment.

Her dad ultimately passed away on October 2, leaving her ravaged and distressed over her failure to offer the monetary help her household frantically required throughout his health problem.

The household described that, as the oldest child, Tawakalitu was likewise anticipated to return home to take part in crucial standard rites following her daddy’s burial.

They stated the rites were anticipated to be finished on or before the 8th day after the burial, making her return especially immediate.

The head of the household apparently officially notified Tawakalitu’s company, described as her madam, and the female’s partner about the death and respectfully asked for that she be enabled to go back to Nigeria to satisfy her household responsibilities.

Rather than facilitate her return after gathering the cash, the company took Tawakalitu back to the workplace where she had actually initially been brought from and declined to listen to her demands.

The household discussed that she was consequently required to a dark space and secured on Wednesday.

According to the account, she stayed restricted throughout Thursday and was ultimately launched throughout the night, before Saturday early morning, when her manager pertained to take her away.

The household stated Tawakalitu was kept in the space without food or water throughout the duration of confinement.

Company Allegedly Takes Away Her Phone, Restricts Movement

After her release, Tawakalitu’s company supposedly informed her he would purchase her a flight ticket, then took her back to your house.

She was not enabled into the home where she had actually worked. She was presumably informed to wait in a workplace beside the home.

The household stated that was where she remained, consumed, while her motions and access to interaction stayed limited.

They even more specified that her company had actually previously seized her phone, leaving her not able to interact easily with her household.

According to the account, Tawakalitu consistently pleaded with her companies to return her phone so she might talk with her family members and describe her scenario.

Her household stated she ended up being progressively concerned that her companies may be preparing to move her to another place and require her to work for a various family.

Tawakalitu supposedly informed them that she had actually currently paid cash for her return ticket and would not consent to being sent out somewhere else to work for another company.

Her worries apparently heightened due to the fact that she had minimal access to her phone and might not be specific what plans her companies may be making without her understanding.

The household stated she stayed identified to go back to Nigeria and reunite with her family members, especially following her dad’s death and the immediate household obligations awaiting her in the house.

Company Allegedly Threatens Two More Years Of Work

The household even more described that when Tawakalitu required her overdue incomes and revealed issues about her circumstance, her madam, threatened to send her to work for another household for an extra 2 years.

According to the household, the company declared that she had actually done the exact same thing to other employees.

The household stated the danger had actually increased Tawakalitu’s worry that she might be moved versus her desires and required to stay in Iraq for a duration far beyond the staying months of her initial employment agreement.

They kept that Tawakalitu had actually currently invested around one year and 4 months working under the contract, with extra days, and was approaching the conclusion of one year and 5 months.

The household is worried that an uncontrolled transfer to another family might even more separate her, extend her separation from Nigeria and make it harder for her to look for support or return home.

The household likewise raised issues about risks and a supposed effort to toxin her, getting in touch with the pertinent authorities to examine the scenarios surrounding the claims and identify whether she deals with more threat.

Household Appeals To Nigerian Government For Urgent Rescue

In an immediate appeal, Tawakalitu’s household gotten in touch with the Nigerian federal government and the pertinent diplomatic and police authorities to step in, develop her location and guarantee her instant security.

The household is looking for an examination into the supposed confiscation of her passport, confinement, hazards, constraint of interaction and possible forced transfer to another home.

It likewise desires the authorities to assist recuperate the $500 in overdue wages for August and September and develop the situations surrounding the extra $800 supposedly gathered from her after she was guaranteed a flight ticket to Nigeria.

The household even more asked for defense versus any effort to move Tawakalitu to another company or family versus her desires while efforts are made to protect her return.

It is likewise looking for support with her safe repatriation to Nigeria so she can reunite with her household and satisfy the standard responsibilities following her daddy’s death.

The household stated immediate intervention was needed due to the fact that Tawakalitu stayed afraid about her scenarios in Iraq and was stressed that she might be avoided home for longer than the period of her initial agreement.

When SaharaReporters gotten in touch with NAPTIP representative Vincent Adekoya, he stated he would react when he came to his location. As of the time of filing this report, he had yet to react.

When SaharaReporters called Engineer Asma’s partner, he stated he did not wish to get associated with the matter.

“I do not understand. She(Tawakalitu) went to the business that brought her to Iraq. Where is the representative who brought her to Iraq? He remains in Nigeria, I believe. Please connect to him. I do not wish to get included,” he stated.

When asked whether he would permit her to go back to Nigeria, return her passport and phone, and pay her impressive wages, he stated he had no issue with her returning however declared that she had a dedication.

“I do not have an issue, however she has a dedication,” he stated.

When asked to determine the representative who brought her to Iraq, he responded, “I do not understand.”

He was likewise asked to return her phone and passport and offer her the $800 owed to her if he might not manage to purchase her a ticket back to Nigeria.

In reaction, he stated the business was accountable for those matters, including that he thought the business supervisor’s telephone number was offered.

“I believe that’s the business supervisor’s number. When we composed the agreement with the business supervisor, I got it from him, from the business. That’s not my task. The business is accountable for it, and you sent out the cash to the business,” he stated.

When asked why he supposedly kept her in a dark space for 3 days, he once again directed SaharaReporters to the business supervisor.

“Talk to the business supervisor and inform him about the passport and the cash he has,” he stated.

Efforts by SaharaReporters to get a reaction from the business supervisor were not successful, as calls to the number might not be linked and messages sent out to the business had actually not gotten a reaction since the time of filing this report.