Nigeria Warns Citizens Against Recruitment for Foreign Conflicts Amid Africa-Wide Concerns in Ukraine

Nigeria has warned its citizens against being recruited to fight abroad after reports that some Nigerians were deceived into joining Russia’s war in Ukraine. Similar cases have affected other African countries, prompting diplomatic efforts by Kenya, South Africa, and Uganda to protect their citizens and secure the return of those recruited.

Nigeria has warned its citizens against being recruited to fight in armed conflicts abroad following reports that some Nigerians were deceived into joining the war in Ukraine on behalf of Russia, a pattern that has also affected nationals of several other African countries. In a statement dated Sunday, Nigeria’s foreign ministry expressed “grave concern over the rising and alarming cases of Nigerian citizens being illegally recruited to participate in foreign armed conflicts,” although it stopped short of directly naming Russia.
The ministry said that a number of Nigerians had fallen victim to these schemes and were later deployed to active combat zones after being misled or coerced into signing military service contracts. According to the statement, many of those affected were lured with promises of well-paying jobs or better living conditions abroad, only to discover after arrival that they were being forced into military roles under dangerous conditions.
In recent weeks, media and diplomatic reports have indicated that citizens from multiple African countries were deceived into travelling to Russia under the guise of high-paying employment opportunities, only to be sent to the front lines of the war in Ukraine. Some of those recruited have reportedly been killed while fighting, raising alarm among governments and human rights groups across the continent.
The issue has prompted diplomatic engagement by several African states. Kenya’s Foreign Minister, Musalia Mudavadi, announced last week that he would travel to Moscow for talks aimed at “conclusively resolving the matter and identifying sustainable solutions” to prevent further recruitment of Kenyan nationals. Similarly, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said he had raised the issue with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, including discussions on the return of South Africans who had been lured into fighting for Russian forces.
Testimonies have also emerged from Uganda, suggesting that similar recruitment tactics were used there. In November, Ukraine said it had identified at least 1,436 individuals fighting for Russia who are citizens of 36 African countries, underscoring the scale of the problem and reinforcing calls by African governments for stronger safeguards to protect their citizens from illegal and deceptive recruitment into foreign wars.