Nigerian woman in Iraq pays $800 to return home after father’s death, employer locks her in dark room instead

The family of a Nigerian woman working in Baghdad, Iraq, is appealing to the federal government to secure her safety and return, alleging that her employer locked her in a dark room and took her phone after collecting $800 from her for a flight home.

The woman, identified by her family as Tawakalitu Morenikeji Oyedeji, was reportedly trafficked to Iraq and had spent about one year and four months of a two-year contract when the alleged incidents began, SaharaReporters reported on Sunday, October 18, 2026.

Her family said she asked to return home after her father died on October 2. She was reportedly told a ticket would cost $700 and paid $400, but was asked for another $400 the next day, bringing the total collected from her to $800. They added that her salaries for August and September, amounting to $500, were withheld.

According to the family, she was taken to a dark room on Wednesday and held for up to three days without food or water. Her phone had also been taken, and after her release, she was reportedly kept in an office beside the residence with limited access to communication.

Relatives said her madam threatened to send her to work for another household for two more years, claiming she had done the same to other workers. They also want authorities to investigate the alleged seizure of her passport.

The family is asking the government to establish her whereabouts, protect her from any forced transfer, help recover the $1,300 involved and facilitate her repatriation so she can take part in traditional rites after her father's burial.

When contacted, the employer's husband said he had no objection to her return but claimed she had a commitment. He referred questions about her passport, phone and money to the company that placed her.

The spokesperson of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Vincent Adekoye, had not responded to enquiries at the time of the report.

In February 2025, NAPTIP said it intercepted 13 young women at the Abuja airport who were allegedly being trafficked to Baghdad by unregistered labour recruiters. Its Director-General, Binta Bello, said victims often reported being paid for only a few months of a two-year contract.

Another Nigerian woman, Odunayo Eniola Isaac, returned home in January 2025 after the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) intervened through the Nigerian mission in Jordan, which oversees Iraq, following a media report on her ordeal.