A Nigerian woman, Odunayo Eniola Isaac, is set to return home after enduring nearly two years of unimaginable suffering in Iraq. Her story, which was brought to light by NIGPOST, reveals the terrifying abuse she faced after being trafficked under false promises of a better life.
Odunayo, 28, from Osun State, was trafficked to Iraq by a woman named Alhaja Yusuf Shakira, also known as Mama Uganda. Promised a job and a new life, Odunayo soon discovered the horrific truth—her life in Iraq was nothing like she had been promised. She was forced into grueling 20-hour workdays, physically and emotionally abused, and isolated from the outside world.
Her employer, Saba Akram, and his wife subjected her to severe physical torture, using metal rods and tasers to break her spirit. At one point, her employer’s wife even attempted to kill her with an iron rod and hot water. Desperate and fearing for her life, Odunayo managed to escape and found temporary refuge at a police station.
Odunayo’s plight began in February 2023 when she was lured to Iraq by Shakira and an agency called Blend Warani. After arriving, she quickly realized she had been trapped in a nightmare. Her phone was seized, cutting her off from her family, and her employers continued to threaten her life.
In December 2024, with no hope left, Odunayo reached out to reporters through the Nigerian human rights organization, Hopes Haven Foundation. The report led to swift action from Nigerian authorities in Jordan, who oversee Iraq, and thanks to their intervention, Odunayo is finally on her way home.
She left Baghdad on Thursday, January 2, 2025, and is expected to arrive in Cairo early on Friday, January 3, before flying to Abuja, Nigeria. Her arrival is expected later in the day, and her return marks the end of an agonizing journey that has captured the attention of many.
NiDCOM (Nigerians in Diaspora Commission) confirmed her return and has also warned Nigerians about the dangers posed by fraudulent agents who promise job opportunities abroad. Abdulrahman Balogun, Head of NiDCOM’s Media Unit, shared that another Nigerian woman, whose death in Iraq remains suspicious, is also under investigation. The Nigerian government has called for an autopsy to determine the cause of death.
Odunayo’s story is a heartbreaking reminder of the dangers of human trafficking and the exploitation of vulnerable women. NiDCOM continues to caution Nigerians to be wary of job offers from agents, especially those targeting women for exploitative labor in foreign countries.
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