Nigerians, Ugandans, Kenyans Allege Trafficking, Forced Recruitment into Russia–Ukraine War

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

Serious allegations of deception, human trafficking and forced military recruitment have emerged as several African nationals claimed they were tricked into fighting for Russia in its ongoing war with Ukraine.Victims from Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya and other countries say they were promised well-paid civilian jobs in Russia but were instead detained, trained as soldiers and deployed to the frontline against their will.

One of the alleged victims, 36-year-old Nigerian mechanic Bankole Manchi, recounted his ordeal in a widely circulated video. Manchi said he left Lagos after being offered what appeared to be a legitimate overseas job that promised him about N500,000 per month.He said a middleman handled his travel arrangements and provided documents that required minimal personal information. Believing the process to be genuine, he travelled through Addis Ababa to Moscow, with his family fully aware of his trip.However, upon arrival in Russia, Manchi said he was handed over to unidentified men who assured him everything was fine. Instead of taking him to a workplace, they transported him to a military-style camp where he met other recruits from Nigeria, Ghana, France, Brazil and China.

According to him, many recruits struggled to communicate due to language barriers and depended on translation apps. He claimed they were told there was “no way out” once inside the facility.Manchi described how training began with basic drills before progressing to weapon handling, grenade practice and night operations. He said several recruits were injured during training but were still forced to continue.

He alleged that they were later moved at night to what they later realised was Ukrainian territory. Shortly after arriving at the frontline, heavy gunfire broke out, during which he was shot in the leg. He also said food was extremely scarce and that recruits survived mainly on water for days before he received medical care.

He added that African recruits were treated as “disposable fighters” in a war they never agreed to join.

Similar testimonies have come from other Africans. A Ugandan man featured in a video shared by journalist Phillip Obaji Jr. said he and others were promised jobs in supermarkets, airports and private security firms in Russia.

Instead, he claimed they were forcibly enrolled into the Russian military, kept under armed guard and housed in underground shelters infested with bedbugs and lacking adequate food.

The Ugandan said he eventually escaped and surrendered to Ukrainian forces, who briefly detained him before verifying his identity and ensuring his safety.

Further claims were made by researcher Sholla Ard, who alleged that a recruitment network was targeting young Africans. He said a Russian company, ST3 Metal LLC, allegedly issued short-term employment letters—some valid for only two weeks—to help recruits obtain visas.

Ard claimed that local agents in Kenya, Uganda and other countries facilitated travel through transit routes including Juba, Nairobi and Turkey before recruits were pressured into military service upon arrival in Russia.

He also said he had collected recruitment documents, visas and testimonies suggesting that some Africans were missing or had died in combat.

Ard warned that the scheme may be linked to Wagner-associated networks and described it as a large-scale trafficking operation that placed unsuspecting Africans in an active war zone under false pretences.

So far, neither the Russian government nor ST3 Metal LLC has officially responded to the allegations.

Human rights groups are now calling for urgent investigations by African governments, international organisations and the United Nations to protect vulnerable citizens from being exploited in foreign conflicts.