A Nigerian man, Abubakar Adamu, has appealed to the Federal Government for assistance in returning home, alleging that he was deceived into joining the Russian military after being promised a civilian job.
According to Zagazola Makama, a counter-terrorism platform, Adamu’s legal representatives have formally notified Nigerian authorities of his situation. They said he travelled to Moscow on a tourist visa issued on October 16, 2025, by the Russian Embassy in Abuja, under the impression that he had secured employment as a sentry.
Upon arrival in Russia, however, his passport and travel documents were allegedly confiscated. His lawyers claim he was pressured into signing enlistment documents written entirely in Russian, without translation or the presence of an interpreter. It was only afterward, they said, that he realised he had been enlisted into the Russian army.
They added that Adamu is currently being held at a Russian military camp and has declined deployment to combat operations in Ukraine, leaving him stranded.
The development comes amid growing concerns over reports that some African nationals have been recruited into Russia’s war effort under disputed circumstances. On Thursday, February 12, Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence reported recovering the bodies of two Nigerians in the Luhansk region who were allegedly fighting on Russia’s side.
The deceased were identified as Hamzat Kazeem Kolawole, 42, and Mbah Stephen Udoka, 38. They were said to have died in late November 2025, just months after joining the Russian military.
A recent investigation by CNN detailed allegations that individuals from Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya and Uganda were lured to Russia with promises of civilian roles such as driving and security jobs, only to be forced into military service with little training before being deployed to the front lines.
Reacting to the claims, Russian Ambassador to Nigeria Andrey Podyelyshev denied that the Kremlin was operating any recruitment scheme, dismissing the allegations earlier this week.
