Experts Warn As Nigerians Allegedly Lured From Job Promises To Battlefield
Rising Desperation, Growing Risks
FOREIGN policy and security experts have raised alarm over reports that Nigerians and other Africans are ending up in military camps linked to the Russia–Ukraine war, warning that economic hardship and job scams are pushing vulnerable youths into dangerous situations.
Professor Femi Otubanjo, an international relations scholar, said the trend reflects a broader global pattern where economic desperation makes young people susceptible to exploitation.
“It takes two to tango,” he said, explaining that while allegations of false recruitment persist, the root cause lies in high unemployment and economic instability across Africa.
With between 50 and 60 percent of Africa’s population made up of young people, Otubanjo noted that many are willing to take extreme risks to secure opportunities abroad. The lure of foreign currency earnings and unfavourable exchange rates further intensify migration pressures.
Historical Pattern of Foreign Fighters
Otubanjo added that the use of foreign fighters is not new in global conflicts, even if governments rarely acknowledge it.
“No country wants to admit that it is using mercenaries,” he said, noting that states prefer to project the image of relying solely on their own citizens.
Similarly, Dr. Nicholas Erameh, a senior research fellow at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, cautioned against jumping to conclusions about forced recruitment.
“It is difficult to say Russians came into Nigeria to pick people and forcefully conscript them,” he said, stressing that each case requires thorough verification.
According to Erameh, some individuals may have entered agreements voluntarily without fully understanding the consequences, while others could have been misled by promises of employment.
He urged the Federal Government to establish a fact-finding mission to determine the accuracy of the allegations and clarify whether Nigerians were coerced or knowingly enlisted.
Cases Spark Concern
Concerns escalated after reports emerged of Nigerians allegedly lured to Russia with promises of civilian jobs before being redirected into military service.
One case involves Abubakar Adamu, who reportedly travelled to Moscow in late 2025 on a tourist visa after securing what he believed was a job as a security guard. Upon arrival, his documents were allegedly seized, and he was made to sign enlistment papers written in Russian without translation. He later discovered he had been enlisted into the Russian Armed Forces and is reportedly being held in a military camp after refusing deployment to Ukraine.
An investigation by All Eyes on Wagner reported that fewer than 36 Nigerians were recruited to fight in Russia’s war against Ukraine between 2023 and mid-2025, with at least five confirmed dead.
Ukraine’s Defence Ministry recently released photographs of two Nigerians said to have died in combat in Luhansk.
The Russian Ambassador to Nigeria, Andrey Podyolyshev, has denied any official recruitment programme targeting Nigerians, stating that any verified cases would be investigated.
Analysts say the unfolding situation highlights the urgent need for job creation at home and stronger safeguards against fraudulent overseas recruitment schemes.
