EXCLUSIVE: Nigerian Woman Allegedly Trafficked To Iraq, Locked In Dark Room As Employer Withholds Salary And Passport
The family of a Nigerian woman, identified as Tawakalitu Morenikeji Oyedeji, has appealed to the Federal Government for urgent intervention after alleging that she was trafficked to Baghdad, Iraq, where she was confined in a dark room, deprived of her phone and prevented from returning to Nigeria following the death of her father.
The family is seeking assistance from Nigerian authorities and diplomatic officials to establish her whereabouts, ensure her safety and facilitate her return home. They are also demanding the recovery of $500 in unpaid salaries for August and September, alongside an investigation into an additional $800 allegedly collected from her for a flight ticket that was never provided.
According to the family, Oyedeji travelled to Iraq under a two-year employment contract and had worked for approximately one year and four months when the reported incidents occurred. She was allegedly employed by a woman identified as Engineer Asma, said to work with Al Jumairah Group, an engineering and general contracting company based in Baghdad.
The family said Oyedeji’s decision to return to Nigeria followed the deterioration of her father’s health and his eventual death on October 2, 2026. They claimed she had been unable to send money home for his medical treatment because her wages had allegedly not been paid.
As the eldest daughter, Oyedeji was also expected to return home for traditional family rites following her father’s burial. Her relatives said they informed her employer and the employer’s husband about the bereavement and requested permission for her to travel to Nigeria.
The family alleged that Oyedeji was initially told that arranging a flight home would cost $700. According to their account, a manager associated with the employment arrangement offered to contribute $300, leaving her to pay the remaining $400. She reportedly paid that amount but was subsequently asked to provide another $400, bringing the total she allegedly paid towards the promised ticket to $800.
Despite the payments, the family claimed that arrangements for her return were not completed. Instead, they alleged that she was taken to an office and locked inside a dark room for approximately three days without food or water.
According to the account, she was eventually released during the night before Saturday morning, after which her employer reportedly took her away. The family further alleged that she was not permitted to return to the house where she had been working and was instead made to stay in an adjoining office, with restrictions placed on her movements.
The family also claimed that Oyedeji’s phone had been confiscated, limiting her ability to communicate freely with relatives. They expressed concern that the restrictions could prevent her from seeking help or obtaining reliable information about arrangements for her return to Nigeria.
The situation reportedly became more distressing when Oyedeji allegedly demanded her outstanding salaries and questioned why she had not been allowed to travel home after paying the requested money. Her family claimed that the employer threatened to transfer her to another household, where she could be required to work for an additional two years against her wishes.
The relatives said such a transfer would leave her facing a potentially prolonged separation from her family, despite having only a few months remaining under her original contract. They also raised allegations of threats and an attempted poisoning, calling for the relevant authorities to investigate those claims and determine whether she faces further danger.
The family is asking the Nigerian government, diplomatic representatives and law enforcement agencies to intervene urgently. Its requests include locating Oyedeji, verifying her safety, investigating the alleged confinement and confiscation of her passport and phone, recovering her unpaid wages and determining what happened to the $800 reportedly collected for her return ticket.
The family is also seeking protection against any alleged attempt to transfer her to another employer without her consent and wants assistance with her safe repatriation to Nigeria. It maintains that the circumstances require urgent attention because of her reported restrictions on communication and her fears about remaining in Iraq.
In a response reported by the publication that first carried the allegations, the husband of the woman identified as Engineer Asma said he did not want to become involved in the dispute and directed questions about the passport, money and employment arrangements to the company that had facilitated Oyedeji’s placement in Iraq.
He reportedly said he had no objection to her returning to Nigeria but maintained that she had an existing commitment. He also stated that the company was responsible for the employment arrangement and the money involved, rather than himself.
Efforts to obtain a response from the company manager were reportedly unsuccessful, as calls could not be connected and messages had not received a response at the time the report was published. The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) spokesperson, Vincent Adekoya, reportedly said he would respond later, but no further response had been received by the time of publication.
The allegations have raised concerns about the vulnerability of Nigerians who travel abroad for employment, particularly workers whose immigration documents, wages or communication devices may be controlled by employers or recruitment intermediaries. However, the claims against the individuals and company mentioned have not been independently established in the available report, and a formal investigation would be needed to determine the facts.
Street News Reporters will continue to monitor the case, including any response from NAPTIP, the Nigerian authorities, the relevant diplomatic mission and the parties named in the allegations, as efforts to establish Oyedeji’s safety and secure her return to Nigeria continue.
