Another Nigerian Captured While Fighting for Russia in Ukraine

A Nigerian national, Balogun Ridwan, has been captured by Ukrainian forces after allegedly fighting on the side of Russia in the ongoing war in Ukraine.

The development was reported by United24 Media, which detailed Mr Ridwan’s alleged recruitment and arrest.

According to the report, Mr Ridwan travelled to Russia after being promised an engineering job. On arrival, however, he was reportedly compelled to sign a military contract written in Russian. He said he did not understand the document and was not allowed to use his phone to translate it before signing.

“They didn’t allow us to use our phones to translate,” he was quoted as saying, adding that he believed he would be assigned work related to his profession. Instead, he underwent military training and was later deployed to the frontline.

He described the training as disorganised and harsh. Phones were confiscated, and recruits faced difficult conditions. One of the trainees, identified as Bubaka and described as African, reportedly suffered a heart attack during the exercise but was still sent to the battlefield.

The report said Mr Ridwan surrendered to Ukrainian troops during a raid on a Russian position in January. The exact location of his arrest was not disclosed.

Prior to confirmation of his capture, some Nigerian media outlets had listed him among citizens believed to have died in combat after being recruited under the guise of security-related jobs. His name appeared alongside Adam Anas, Akinlawon Tunde Quyuum and Abugu Stanley Onyeka in such reports.

Details about when Mr Ridwan arrived in Russia and when he was deployed remain unclear, as those dates were not specified.

In comments attributed to him, Mr Ridwan appealed to the Nigerian government for assistance, saying he had been misled and would not have knowingly joined the Russian military. He said he travelled on a tourist visa in search of work as a mechanic or engineer and called for help to return home.

His case follows recent disclosures by Ukrainian authorities about other Nigerians allegedly fighting for Russia. Ukrainian military intelligence recently identified two Nigerians — Hamzat Kolawole and Mbah Udoka — who were reported killed in late November during fighting in the Luhansk region.

The war, which began with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, is entering its fourth year. Reports of foreign nationals being recruited through misleading job offers have surfaced repeatedly, with some individuals claiming they were promised employment, education or better pay before being deployed to combat zones.

Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, has previously raised concerns about citizens being drawn into foreign conflicts through irregular recruitment channels. He warned that some victims are made to sign documents in unfamiliar languages and have their travel documents withheld upon arrival.