The family of a Nigerian woman identified as Tawakalitu Morenikeji Oyedeji, who was reportedly trafficked to Baghdad, Iraq, is seeking government assistance to establish her whereabouts, ensure her safety, recover her unpaid salaries for August and September amounting to $500, and secure her return to Nigeria following the death of her father.
Her employer was identified as Eng. Asma, an engineer working with Al Jumairah Group (also commonly referred to as Al Jumairah for Engineering and General Contracting), a prominent Iraqi enterprise headquartered in Baghdad, Iraq
Her family, which spoke to SaharaReporters on Sunday, stated that Tawakalitu’s employer collected $800 from her after promising to arrange a flight ticket for her to return to Nigeria for her father’s burial but subsequently subjected her to further restrictions and mistreatment.
The family also explained that she was locked in a dark room for three days without food or water, had her phone taken away from her and was threatened with being transferred to another household to work for an additional two years against her wishes.
According to the family, Tawakalitu signed a two-year employment contract before travelling to Iraq and had worked for approximately one year and four months, with some additional days, at the time the incidents occurred.
The family said she had only a few months left to complete her contract and was keeping track of her employment period. By October 27, 2026 Oyedeji, she would have completed one year and five months under the agreement.
They explained that Tawakalitu worked every morning at the location where she had been assigned, carrying out her duties in the office where her boss worked.
However, her circumstances reportedly changed after she informed her employer that she had an emergency at home and needed to return to Nigeria.
The family said Tawakalitu understood that her employer might refuse to pay for her return ticket because she had not completed the two-year contract. She therefore asked how much she would need to pay to secure a flight home.
According to the account provided by her family, she was told that the ticket would cost $700, while her employer’s manager reportedly offered to contribute $300, leaving her to provide the remaining $400.
Tawakalitu paid the first $400 as requested. However, the following day, she was reportedly informed that she needed to pay another $400.
The family said she subsequently paid the additional amount, bringing the total money collected from her for the promised travel arrangements to $800.
In addition to the money collected for the ticket, her employer reportedly withheld her salaries for August and September, amounting to $500.
The family said the combined amount involved was therefore $1,300, comprising the $800 collected from Tawakkaltu and the $500 in unpaid wages.
Father’s Death Deepens Her Distress
The family said Tawakalitu’s decision to return home was prompted by her father’s deteriorating health and subsequent death.
According to the account, her father had become seriously ill and required surgery. However, because her salaries were withheld, Tawakalitu could not send money home to support his treatment.
Her father eventually died on October 2, leaving her devastated and distressed over her inability to provide the financial assistance her family desperately needed during his illness.
The family explained that, as the eldest daughter, Tawakalitu was also expected to return home to participate in important traditional rites following her father’s burial.
They said the rites were expected to be completed on or before the eighth day after the burial, making her return particularly urgent.
The head of the family reportedly formally informed Tawakalitu’s employer, referred to as her madam, and the woman’s husband about the death and respectfully requested that she be allowed to return to Nigeria to fulfil her family obligations.
However, rather than facilitate her return after collecting the money, the employer took Tawakalitu back to the office where she had originally been brought from and refused to listen to her requests.
The family explained that she was subsequently taken to a dark room and locked up on Wednesday.
According to the account, she remained confined throughout Thursday and was eventually released during the night, before Saturday morning, when her boss came to take her away.
The family said Tawakalitu was kept in the room without food or water during the period of confinement.
Employer Allegedly Takes Away Her Phone, Restricts Movement
After her release, Tawakalitu’s employer reportedly told her he would buy her a flight ticket, then took her back to the house.
However, she was not allowed into the house where she had worked. She was allegedly told to wait in an office next to the residence.
The family said that was where she stayed, ate and drank, while her movements and access to communication remained restricted.
They further stated that her employer had earlier confiscated her phone, leaving her unable to communicate freely with her family.
According to the account, Tawakalitu repeatedly pleaded with her employers to return her phone so she could speak with her relatives and explain her situation.
Her family said she became increasingly worried that her employers might be planning to transfer her to another location and force her to work for a different household.
Tawakalitu reportedly told them that she had already paid money for her return ticket and would not agree to being sent elsewhere to work for another employer.
Her fears reportedly intensified because she had limited access to her phone and could not be certain what arrangements her employers might be making without her knowledge.
The family said she remained determined to return to Nigeria and reunite with her relatives, particularly following her father’s death and the urgent family responsibilities awaiting her at home.
Employer Allegedly Threatens Two More Years Of Work
The family further explained that when Tawakalitu demanded her unpaid salaries and expressed concerns about her situation, her madam, threatened to send her to work for another family for an additional two years.
According to the family, the employer claimed that she had done the same thing to other workers.
The family said the threat had heightened Tawakalitu’s fear that she could be transferred against her wishes and forced to remain in Iraq for a period far beyond the remaining months of her original employment contract.
They maintained that Tawakalitu had already spent approximately one year and four months working under the agreement, with additional days, and was approaching the completion of one year and five months.
The family is concerned that an involuntary transfer to another household could further isolate her, prolong her separation from Nigeria and make it more difficult for her to seek assistance or return home.
The family also raised concerns about threats and an alleged attempt to poison her, calling on the relevant authorities to investigate the circumstances surrounding the allegations and determine whether she faces further danger.
Family Appeals To Nigerian Government For Urgent Rescue
In an urgent appeal, Tawakalitu’s family called on the Nigerian government and the relevant diplomatic and law enforcement authorities to intervene, establish her whereabouts and ensure her immediate safety.
The family is seeking an investigation into the alleged confiscation of her passport, confinement, threats, restriction of communication and possible forced transfer to another household.
It also wants the authorities to help recover the $500 in unpaid salaries for August and September and establish the circumstances surrounding the additional $800 allegedly collected from her after she was promised a flight ticket to Nigeria.
The family further requested protection against any attempt to transfer Tawakalitu to another employer or household against her wishes while efforts are made to secure her return.
It is also seeking assistance with her safe repatriation to Nigeria so she can reunite with her family and fulfil the traditional obligations following her father’s death.
The family said urgent intervention was necessary because Tawakalitu remained fearful about her circumstances in Iraq and was worried that she could be kept away from home for longer than the duration of her original contract.
When SaharaReporters contacted NAPTIP spokesperson Vincent Adekoya, he said he would respond once he arrived at his destination. However, as of the time of filing this report, he had yet to respond.
When SaharaReporters contacted Engineer Asma’s husband, he said he did not want to get involved in the matter.
“I don’t know. But she(Tawakalitu) went to the company that brought her to Iraq. Where is the agent who brought her to Iraq? He is in Nigeria, I think. Please reach out to him. I don’t want to get involved,” he said.
When asked whether he would allow her to return to Nigeria, return her passport and phone, and pay her outstanding salaries, he said he had no problem with her returning but claimed that she had a commitment.
“I don’t have a problem, but she has a commitment,” he said.
When asked to identify the agent who brought her to Iraq, he replied, “I don’t know.”
He was also asked to return her phone and passport and give her the $800 owed to her if he could not afford to buy her a ticket back to Nigeria.
In response, he said the company was responsible for those matters, adding that he believed the company manager’s phone number was available.
“I think that’s the company manager’s number. When we wrote the contract with the company manager, I got it from him, from the company. That’s not my job. The company is responsible for it, and you sent the money to the company,” he said.
When asked why he allegedly kept her in a dark room for three days, he again directed SaharaReporters to the company manager.
“Talk to the company manager and tell him about the passport and the money he has,” he said.
Efforts by SaharaReporters to obtain a response from the company manager were unsuccessful, as calls to the number could not be connected and messages sent to the company had not received a response as of the time of filing this report.