At least 215 Nigerians have been recruited into the Russian armed forces to fight in the ongoing war against Ukraine, with no fewer than 25 citizens confirmed dead or missing.
This figure ranks Nigeria as the fifth most affected African nation in the international recruitment drive.
A Ukrainian government agency disclosed that African recruits are allegedly lured to the country with the promise of security jobs before facing frontline deployment.
A report by StopRussianRecruiters.org, an agency linked to the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, revealed that the casualties include a 34-year-old former Nigerian naval officer, Ayebusiwa Olabode Victor. The ex-officer signed a military contract in February and was confirmed dead by Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence in May.
Two other Nigerians, identified as Hamzat Kolawole and Mbah Udoka, also paid the supreme sacrifice during military operations in late November.
Authorities revealed that their bodies were recovered in the Luhansk region after they were hit by a drone strike while attempting to raid Ukrainian positions. Dawn Herald gathered that neither of the men received adequate military training prior to their frontline deployment.
The recruitment continues despite earlier concerns raised by the Nigerian Foreign Ministry regarding the enlistment of citizens into foreign militaries.
Data from the Ukrainian agency ranks Cameroon as the highest source of African recruits, followed by Ghana, Egypt, and Kenya. The Russian government has, however, officially denied any involvement in facilitating the recruitment of Africans for the conflict.
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