Nigerian Stranded in Russia After Alleged Forced Military Recruitment

A Nigerian man, Abubakar Adamu, has sent a desperate plea to the federal government for immediate repatriation, alleging that he was lured into joining the Russian army under the false pretense of employment as a security guard.

According to a report by counter-terrorism publication Zagazola Makama, Adamu’s legal representatives have formally notified Nigerian authorities of his ordeal.

The lawyers stated that Adamu traveled to Moscow on a tourist visa issued by the Russian Embassy in Abuja on October 16, 2025, with the promise of a job as a sentry. However, upon arrival, the situation took a drastic turn.

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Adamu claims his travel documents were confiscated, and he was coerced into signing enlistment papers written entirely in Russian, without the assistance of an interpreter.

It was only later that he realized he had been conscripted into the Russian military rather than employed in a civilian capacity.

His legal team reports that he is currently stranded at a Russian military camp after refusing deployment to combat zones in Ukraine.

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This development follows a revelation by the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine on Thursday, which reported the discovery of the bodies of two Nigerians in the Luhansk region.

The deceased, identified as Hamzat Kazeem Kolawole, 42, and Mbah Stephen Udoka, 38, allegedly died in late November 2025, just months after joining the Russian ranks.

The incident adds to growing concerns highlighted by a recent CNN investigation, which detailed how African nationals from Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, and Uganda have been recruited to Russia with offers of civilian jobs like driving or security, only to be forced into military service with minimal training before frontline deployment.

Despite these mounting allegations, the Russian ambassador to Nigeria, Andrey Podyelyshev, on Tuesday dismissed the reports, distancing the Kremlin from any such recruitment schemes.