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By Goli Innocent
The Russian government has denied allegations that Nigerians are being recruited to fight in the ongoing war in Ukraine, describing recent reports as unverified and not backed by official policy.
Andrey Podyelyshev, Russia’s ambassador to Nigeria, dismissed the claims on Tuesday while addressing journalists at the Russian Embassy in Abuja.
The denial follows a recent CNN investigation which reported that Africans from countries including Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and Uganda were allegedly lured to Russia with promises of civilian jobs, only to be conscripted into the military and sent to the frontline in Ukraine.
According to the report, some of the affected individuals were offered signing bonuses of up to $13,000, monthly salaries of about $3,500, and Russian citizenship after completing their service.
However, several recruits reportedly said they were forced to sign military contracts written in Russian without legal guidance or translation, had their passports seized, and were given minimal training before deployment.
There were also allegations of racial abuse and inhumane treatment.
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Responding to the claims, Podyelyshev said there was no government-backed programme authorising the recruitment of Nigerians for the war.
“I don’t have any confirmation from Russia about this,” the envoy said. “There is no government-supported programme to recruit Nigerians to fight in Ukraine.”
He added that if any recruitment was taking place, it was not linked to the Russian state.
“If there are illegal organisations or individuals acting outside the law and trying to recruit Nigerians by unlawful means, this has no connection with the Russian government,” he said.
The ambassador said Russian authorities were open to investigating the matter, provided concrete evidence was presented.
“Russia is ready to look into any specific case once evidence is provided,” he added.
This is not the first time concerns have been raised about the alleged recruitment of Africans into foreign conflicts, but Russian officials insist the state is not involved in such activities.
