Nigerian youths lured into Russian military with false job promises
A recent investigative report has revealed that 36 Nigerian youths were recruited to fight in Russia’s war against Ukraine, with several confirmed dead. Vulnerable young men were enticed with fake offers of jobs and education, only to be forced into military service upon arrival. The report by All Eyes on Wagner details how African recruits, including Nigerians, were used in high-risk operations. Families of affected Nigerians have expressed grief, while officials and agencies deny involvement or shift blame.
What we know
- The report, ‘The Business of Despair: The Russian Army’s Recruiting of African Fighters’, was published in February 2026 by All Eyes on Wagner.
- Russia allegedly began recruiting Africans after its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, with Nigerians among 1,417 African recruits identified between 2023 and mid-2025.
- Five Nigerians—Abdoulaye Issaka Ismael, Agbo Moses Omale, Adamu Abdulai Ismail, Mikael, and Fajobi Taiwo Omoniyi—were confirmed killed, with the total African death toll at 316.
- In 2025, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Andrii Sybiha, stated that over 1,400 nationals from 36 African countries were fighting for Russia.
- On Thursday, February 12, 2026, Ukraine’s Defence Ministry released photos of two Nigerians, Hamzat Kazeem Kolawole and Mbah Stephen Udoka, who died fighting for Russia; Kolawole signed up in August 2025, Udoka on 28th September 2025.
