Nigerians seeking opportunities abroad have raised alarm after alleging they were deceived into taking part in the Russia–Ukraine war under the guise of legitimate employment.
One of them, 36-year-old Lagos-based mechanic Bankole Manchi, said he left Nigeria believing he had secured an overseas job with a promised monthly income of about ₦500,000. However, upon arriving in Russia, he claimed he was transferred to unknown handlers and taken to a camp that resembled a military facility rather than a workplace. According to him, the camp housed recruits from several countries, including Nigeria, Ghana, France, Brazil and China, many of whom could barely communicate and depended on translation apps to understand instructions.
Manchi said what initially appeared to be routine training soon turned into full military preparation, including weapons handling, grenade drills and night exercises. He alleged that injured recruits were compelled to continue training despite their condition. The situation worsened, he said, when they were moved toward Ukrainian territory and immediately came under intense gunfire. Manchi sustained a gunshot injury to his leg and claimed he survived for days with little food or water before receiving treatment. He described African recruits as expendable fighters forced into a conflict they never agreed to join.
Accounts similar to Manchi’s have reportedly surfaced in other African countries. A Ugandan man recounted that he and others were lured with promises of civilian jobs in places such as supermarkets, airports and private security firms. Instead, they were allegedly confined under armed watch in underground facilities with harsh living conditions. He later escaped and surrendered to Ukrainian forces, who reportedly verified his identity.
Researcher Sholla Ard has pointed to what he described as a coordinated recruitment network targeting young Africans. According to him, companies such as ST3 Metal LLC allegedly issued short-term employment documents to help recruits obtain visas, only for them to be coerced into military service on arrival. Some recruits are said to be unaccounted for, while others are believed to have died in combat. Travel routes reportedly passed through cities like Juba, Nairobi and Turkey, complicating efforts to track the network.
Human rights organisations have called on African governments, the United Nations and other international bodies to urgently investigate the allegations. As of now, neither the Russian authorities nor the company named in the claims has issued an official response.
