The Nigerian government has issued a strong warning to its citizens following reports that two Nigerians were killed in Ukraine while fighting on the side of Russian forces.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Yusuf Tuggar raised alarm over what he described as a disturbing rise in the illegal recruitment of Nigerians into foreign armed conflicts, particularly the Russia-Ukraine war. He cautioned that many of those drawn into these conflicts are victims of deception, lured by promises that never materialise.

Ukrainian Military Intelligence recently identified the two deceased Nigerians as Hamzat Kolawole and Mbah Udoka. Their bodies were reportedly recovered in the Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine, one of the most volatile frontlines in the ongoing war. Ukrainian authorities said both men had signed contracts with the Russian military in 2025 before their deaths.

According to a statement issued by the Foreign Affairs Ministry, recent media investigations and security reports indicate that Nigerians are being targeted through elaborate schemes that present war recruitment as legitimate opportunities abroad.

The minister said many victims are enticed with offers of high-paying jobs, private security work, scholarships, or fast-tracked migration packages. On arrival, they are allegedly coerced into signing military service contracts, often written in foreign languages they do not understand, and stripped of their passports and other travel documents.

Officials say intermediaries and agents play a central role in these schemes, arranging travel under tourist or other non-military visas to conceal the true purpose of the journey. Some international investigations have documented cases of Africans, including Nigerians, who were promised education or employment in Russia but were later deployed to the frontlines. There have also been reports of young African women recruited under scholarship programmes who subsequently faced exploitation.

Tuggar stressed that Nigerians must not participate in foreign wars outside officially sanctioned government frameworks, warning that such involvement may breach Nigerian and international laws governing mercenary activities and foreign enlistment.

The ministry emphasised that any Nigerian who chooses to fight in foreign conflicts does so entirely at personal risk, with limited prospects for protection or recourse if harmed or exploited.

To curb the trend, the government says it is working with domestic and international partners to investigate recruitment networks and intensify public awareness campaigns. Nigerian missions abroad have been instructed to heighten consular vigilance and issue timely advisories to citizens who may be vulnerable to such schemes.