Nigerians Lured to Russia with Job Promises, Forced to Fîght in Ukraine Wàr

Nigerian citizens are reporting they were tricked into fighting in the Russia-Ukraine war after being recruited for legitimate overseas jobs. Bankole Manchi, a 36-year-old mechanic from Lagos, states he was promised a job paying ₦500,000 monthly but upon arriving in Russia was taken to a military camp instead of a workplace.

Manchi recounts meeting recruits from multiple countries and undergoing rapid weapons training. He alleges injured personnel were forced to continue and that African recruits were treated as “disposable fighters.” After being deployed into Ukraine, he was shot in the leg and endured days without proper supplies before receiving aid.

Similar accounts have emerged from other African nations like Uganda and Kenya, where men were promised civilian jobs but instead held in guarded shelters under poor conditions before being sent to the front lines. Researcher Sholla Ard points to an alleged recruitment network, where companies like ST3 Metal LLC issue short-term employment letters for visas only to coerce individuals into military service.

Human rights groups are demanding urgent investigations by African governments and international bodies into this trafficking scheme. The companies and the Russian government involved have not yet responded to these allegations.