A former Nigerian Navy seaman, Adamu Abubakar, was allegedly lured to Russia with a promised security job but was instead coerced into joining the Russian Army, according to his wife.
Adamu Abubakar, a former Nigerian Navy seaman, was allegedly lured to Russia in 2025 with the promise of a $2,000-per-month security job, only to be forced into military service upon arrival. According to his wife, Hadiza Abubakar, he completed documentation at the Embassy of Russia in Nigeria before travelling, believing he had secured employment through a Lagos-based agent. She told the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) on February 14 that the promised job did not exist and that Russian agents diverted him from normal immigration procedures at the airport. “When he landed at an airport in Russia, he called me,” she said. “He said he was worried that he was not profiled through the normal immigration booth at the airport, which is a global aviation standard to ensure the security of the traveller and their host country. They diverted him and other victims to another door and forced them to submit their travel documents.”
Hadiza further alleged that her husband and others were transported on a dark bus to an undisclosed location and compelled to sign documents written in Russian without interpretation. “When they arrived at a place, they alighted and they teleguided them into signing documents written in Russian. They were shouting orders at them: ‘Sign! Sign! Sign!’” she said. “They did not know what they signed and there was no interpreter to assist them.” Evidence later indicated that Abubakar was allegedly enlisted into the Russian Army on November 10, 2025, days after departing Nigeria via Cotonou and Cairo.
Abubakar’s case comes amid broader reports that African nationals have been recruited into the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine under alleged false pretences, including promises of employment and citizenship opportunities. The conflict, which escalated following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, has resulted in significant casualties. On February 12, Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence announced it had recovered the bodies of two Nigerians who were reportedly fighting for Russia, underscoring concerns about the risks faced by foreign recruits in the conflict.