In October 2025, a social media influencer shared a picture claiming to show six Nigerian men who were fighting for Russian Forces in Ukraine. Despite sharing the image, the influencer, who is also Nigerian, said he does not advise anyone to join the war but on the other hand he said he was happy to share contacts with them on how to join. This is the classic image of Russia’s war recruitment across Africa — subtle and exploitative.
Based on his warning, you will assume Nigerians will not take the bait, but the video, which had been watched over 312,000 times had more than 600 comments, dozens of them in support of joining the Russian Army. Yusuph Olatunji, one of the Facebook users who responded to a question about advising his family to join the Russian Army said: “Why not. Are African(s) not joining [the] US military, despite a lot of them dying in Middle East countries?”.
Using the Facebook page, Security and Crime TV, this influencer who brands himself as the “youngest security expert in Africa,” had shared another video, where another Nigerian reportedly fighting for Russia was explaining how to join the Russian Army. In this video, the Nigerian, dressed in Russian military camouflage, said he was willing to give invitation letters to anyone who wants to join the fight. In his case, he was doing the “favour” for $200 per letter.
“If you want to join the army, I will help you and send you [an] invitation letter from Russia here — it will cost you $200 only,” he said.
Shared in October 2025, the video quickly amassed over 230,000 views and sparked more than 200 comments. The overwhelming majority of viewers condemned the solicitation of funds in exchange for a war invitation letter. Yet, a persistent few still expressed interest, requesting contact with the man featured in the video.
NIGERIA ASKS CITIZENS NOT TO JOIN THE WAR
In February 2022, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on volunteers from around the world to join the War in Ukraine. “Anyone who wants to join the defence of Ukraine, Europe and the world can come and fight side by side with the Ukrainians against the Russian war criminals,” Zelenskyy said at the time, leading to a surge of volunteers in Nigeria.
Almost immediately, the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, cautioned against this, saying “it will not tolerate the recruitment, in Nigeria, of Nigerians as mercenaries to fight in Ukraine or anywhere else in the world”. The Ukrainian Embassy in Nigeria confirmed that “a number of Nigerians had approached the embassy” offering to fight, but these offers were reportedly declined. Nigeria has not changed its position on the recruitment, but there is increasing evidence that its citizens are joining the Russian side of the war.
Late 2025, Adekunle Adaramola, who resigned from the Nigerian Air Force to join the Russian Army was announced dead by his brother Abiodun Adaramola, who shared videos of his brother in Russia. “When Kunle made the difficult decision to join the RUSSIA ARMY after his resignation from Nigeria Airforce, he did so with a sense of purpose and a desire for a better future, both for himself and for our family,” he wrote in his tribute.
Africans as expendables
While Adekunle may have joined Russian forces in search of greener pastures and a better future, many of his compatriots in the same war do not have such luxury of choice. As reported in Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana and South Africa, many Africans who find themselves in the battlefield in Ukraine thought they were going to Moscow to work and earn a decent wage.
In South Africa, 17 men were trafficked to Ukraine to fight as expendable soldiers in Russia’s conquest of Ukraine. These men said they were told the trip to Russia was for education and training as bodyguards, but they ended up at the battlefront. This deceptive tactic has led to the resignation of Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, daughter to former president Jacob Zuma, from parliament. In Kenya, the government has rescued and repatriated 18 citizens caught in this web, with 200 already recruited via various means. For Ghana, 14 people were recruited by a prominent member of Ghana Supporters Union, for security jobs in Kostroma, Western Russia. The government has since begun negotiations to get the citizens back.
In Nigeria, there have been at least three cases of people who have fallen for the same false recruitment, ending up in Russian military camps. Across all the various countries, there’s a recurring theme, these Africans are being used as suicide bombers and expendable war materials.
War is not a migration route
Africa Polling Institute estimates that 7 in 10 Nigerians aged 18 to 35 will relocate out of the country if given the opportunity. This represents a significant increase from only 4 in 10 in 2019.
When asked what their top destinations were, the Nigerians in the API study with a propensity to emigrate chose the United States of America (28%), United Kingdom (15%), Canada (14%), Saudi Arabia (9%) and Dubai (8%) as top destinations. While Russia does not show up as a desired destination for Nigerians seeking to leave the country, these recruitment strategies and phony job ads are taking advantage of this thirst for emigration to drag Nigerians into the war.
The overwhelming desire for a “better future” among many Nigerians and other Africans is a potent vulnerability being ruthlessly exploited by subtle war recruiters and influencers. The documented cases from Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, and Ghana underscore a similar harrowing pattern: individuals seeking legal migration routes ending up as “expendable soldiers.” In the past, President Bola Tinubu has asked Nigerians not to worry about emigration, known as “japa syndrome,” saying Nigeria will train more people and supply other countries. But in light of these realities, deceptive migration pathways may become Nigeria’s reason to worry.
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