Nigerians, Ugandans, and Kenyans Report Allegations of Trafficking and Forced Recruitment in the Russia–Ukraine War

Nigerian and other African victims allege that they were tricked, imprisoned, and coerced into joining Russia’s military war against Ukraine.

After a number of African nationals claimed they were duped into fighting for Russia in its current battle with Ukraine, serious accusations of deceit, human trafficking, and forced military recruiting surfaced.

According to victims from Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, and other African nations, they were abducted, trained as soldiers, and sent to the frontlines against their will after being offered well-paying civilian positions in Russia.

In a video that went viral, 36-year-old Nigerian mechanic Bankole Manchi, one of the claimed victims, described his ordeal. Manchi claimed that he left Lagos after receiving what seemed to be a real abroad employment offer with a monthly salary of roughly ₦500,000.

He claimed that an intermediary arranged for his travel and supplied paperwork that needed very little personal information. With his family’s knowledge, he traveled to Moscow via Addis Ababa because he thought the agreement was real.

Manchi claimed that when he arrived in Russia, he was taken to a military-style camp instead of a workplace and turned over to unknown individuals. He reportedly met other recruits from Brazil, France, Ghana, Nigeria, and China there.

He asserted that the recruits were told there was “no way out,” had to rely on translation applications, and encountered linguistic obstacles. Injured recruits were allegedly made to continue training, which reportedly progressed from drills to weapons handling, grenade practice, and night operations.

Manchi also said that they were transported into Ukrainian territory at night, and that soon after their arrival, there was a flurry of gunfire. He claimed that after being shot in the leg, he managed to survive for days on very little food and drink before getting help.

He said that African recruits were treated like “disposable fighters” in a war they had never agreed to fight.

Similar reports from Kenya and Uganda have surfaced. In one video that journalist Phillip Obaji Jr. posted, a guy from Uganda said that he and other people were forced into the Russian military despite being promised civilian work in supermarkets, airports, and private security companies.

Before he fled and turned himself in to Ukrainian forces, who subsequently confirmed his identity, the Ugandan said they were housed in subterranean shelters with subpar living conditions under armed guard.

Additionally, researcher Sholla Ard has claimed that young Africans are the target of a recruitment network. He said that before forcing recruits into military duty, a Russian company called ST3 Metal LLC provided temporary job letters to help them get visas.

Travel routes allegedly went through Juba, Nairobi, and Turkey, according to Ard, who also stated that records and testimonials he gathered indicate that some African recruits may have died in battle or are missing.

Human rights organizations are now urging the UN, international organizations, and African states to conduct immediate investigations. ST3 Metal LLC and the Russian government have not formally addressed the accusations.