Fri Dec 27 06:54:24 UTC 2024: ## Nigerian Women Face Modern Slavery in Iraq, Al Jazeera Investigates

**Baghdad/Lagos –** A Al Jazeera investigation reveals a harrowing reality for Nigerian women recruited as domestic workers in Iraq, exposing a system of modern slavery marked by severe abuse, rape, and even murder. Hundreds, potentially thousands, of women are lured by promises of good pay and conditions, only to face brutal exploitation and inhumane treatment.

Agnes*, a 27-year-old from Ekiti State, is one such victim. After paying a recruitment agent $64, she was sent to Basra, where her employer raped her at gunpoint, forcing her to undergo a painful abortion that left her with severe, persistent abdominal pain. She remains trapped, unpaid, and unable to return home. Her case is not isolated.

Many women are recruited by Nigerian agents who receive commissions for sending them to Iraqi firms. Once in Iraq, women, known as “shagalas,” are forced to sign two-year contracts, often working over 20 hours a day for meager pay ($200-$250). They face starvation, beatings, and lack of proper living quarters. Sexual abuse and rape are also commonplace, with some women reportedly dying as a result of the extreme abuse.

Damilola Adekola, co-founder of Hopes Haven Foundation, described the situation as “modern slavery,” noting that Iraqi agents and employers often claim ownership over the women. The contracts violate international labor laws, lacking provisions for medical care or reasonable working hours. The recruiters often target women from rural communities lacking awareness of the dangers.

Another victim, Eniola*, 28, endured months of torture at the hands of her employer in Baghdad, including taser shocks, beatings with an iron rod, and scalding. She bravely escaped and reported her abuse to the Iraqi authorities. Following an investigation, Eniola was awarded back pay and her employer was investigated. While Eniola declined to press charges, authorities plan to cover her repatriation costs.

The Iraqi Interior Ministry, while initially unaware of the cases, pledged to investigate. However, the slow response from Nigerian authorities is being criticized. Activists accuse the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) of accepting bribes and overlooking exploitation at airports. Although the NIS promised a response to the allegations, it failed to provide one in time for publication. The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) is investigating some of the recruitment agents involved, but progress is slow.

The lack of a Nigerian embassy in Iraq hampers efforts to assist victims, highlighting the urgent need for stronger regulatory measures and government intervention to protect Nigerian women from this brutal exploitation. The ongoing investigations and the stories of Agnes and Eniola underscore the urgent need for international cooperation to combat this modern form of slavery in Iraq and across the Middle East.

*Names have been changed to protect the victims’ identities.

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