Tension between several African nations and Russia on top di recruitment of African men to fight for Ukraine dey likely to increase afta officials for Kyiv announce say dem don discover di dead body of two Nigerian men for Donbas region.
For one statement wey di Ukrainian Defence ministry issue on Thursday, 12 February, dem release di photographs of di two Nigerians wey dem allege say die as dem dey defend Russia.
Di ministry say dem find di bodies of Hamzat Kazeem Kolawole and Mbah Stephen for Luhansk, and claim say both of dem bin sign up to join di Russian army for 2025.
Kolawole, 42 and Udoka, 37, join di Russian military 423rd Guards Motor Rifle Regiment, part of di 4th Guards Kantemirovskaya Tank Division, wit no military training bifor dem deploy dem go di front line, di Ukraine military tok.
“Udoka no receive any training whatsoever — just five days later, on October 3, dem assign am to di unit and send am go di temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.
“Kolawole no get any record of training, e dey very likely say e neva receive any military training. Im wife and three children dey for Nigeria,” di statement tok.
Di deaths dey come for di middle of growing concern for many Africa nations about di number of men reportedly being recruited to fight for Russia.
Although BBC neva fit confam dis claim and Nigerian govment neva react to dis development, dis howeva don raise concerns about di recruitment of foreign fighters for di Russia Ukraine conflict.
Moscow deny recruitment of Nigerians into military
Earlier dis week, Russian Ambassador to Nigeria, Andrey Podyolyshev deny say Moscow dey recruit Nigerians to join di ranks of men wey dey fight for di Russia Ukraine conflict.
E say im no dey aware of any govment-backed programme to recruit Nigerians to fight for di war for Ukraine, and add say if dat kain thing dey happun, Russia no get inside.
But di statement wey di Ukraine military issue give details on di Nigerians wey die for di war front and how dem take enta di Russian military.
Hamzat Kolawole bin sign di contract to join di Russian forces for August 2025 and Mbah Udoka join for 28 September of di same year.
Di statement say di two Nigerians no get any military training and dem die during one attempt to storm Ukrainian positions for di Luhansk region. “Dem no ever engage in firefight – na drone strikes kpai di mercenaries”.
Attached to di statement na fotos of di two Nigerians wey wear camouflage uniforms, plus three documents wey provide additional information about dia identities.
Ukraine no tok how dem take get di documents wey show di contract details plus di military status of di two sojas.
BBC neva fit verify di documents or di informate wey dey di documents.
Ova 1000 Africans join Russian Army between 2023-2025 – Report
However, one new investigation wey dey published on 11 February tok say 1,417 African fighters dey recruited into di Russian army since 2023, including 316 confirmed deaths.
Di report wey di All Eyes On Wagner (AEOW) publish list 1,417 fighters from 35 African countries wey enlist for Russian army between 2023 and mid-2025, out of dem 316 don die.
One investigation wey dey torchlight recruitment networks for African fighters for Russia war in Ukraine has published a list of recruits – and those killed – on the front lines, French broadcaster RFI reported on 11 February.
Published on 11 February, the list contains 1,417 fighters from 35 African countries who enlisted in the Russian army between 2023 and mid-2025, 316 of whom have died.
While Egypt get di most recruits (361), Cameroon na im suffer di heaviest losses wit 94 deaths out of di 335 identified fighters.
Gambian recruits dey badly hit, 23 out of di 56 listed contract sojas don die.
Di data wey dem get via Ukraine “I Want to Live” surrender programme – suggest a death rate of more dan 22%, wey exclude wounded and missing.
Kenyan govment estimate say around 200 of dia nationals dey recruited to fight for Russia.
Recruits range from 18 to 57, wit an average age of 31.
Many families across Africa say for months dem no hear anytin from dia pipo for months, di report tok.
“Di publication of dis list suppose allow families… to know di fate of dia loved ones, to contact dia national authorities to request di return of di remains… and to act on these recruitments wey don full ground as di invasion of Ukraine dey on,” Lou Osborne of AEOW tok.
One recent report for di French Institute of International Relations (Ifri) estimate say 3,000–4,000 Africans dey among di 18,000–20,000 foreign fighters wey serve for Russia, RFI tok.
“Since 2023, Russia don increase dia efforts to diversify dia military personnel for di conflict,” AEOW write.
Dem argue say Moscow bin first rely on prisoners bifor dem turn dia attention to Africa.
Ifri researchers say recruitment campaigns dey target poor urban youth wey see migration as dia best chance of opportunity to japa.
Dem deceive many of dem wit fake jobs or study offers — practices wey AEOW say amount to human trafficking, wit recruits used as “cannon fodder”.
Investigators discover say networks of travel agencies and recruiters wey dey operate across Russia and Africa, dey advertise “fast-track procedures” on Facebook, Instagram, Telegram and TikTok wit fotos of luxury cars and Moscow skylines.
Di adverts dey often promise recruits wey sign salaries of $2,000–$2,500 per month, bonuses, health insurance and easier access to citizenship – promises wey many pipo say na lip service.
AEOW also documents students wey dey pushed from lecture halls to battlefields, including Senegalese Malick Diop, wey now be Ukrainian prisoner, and one 25-year-old Egyptian graduate wey tok say dem force am to sign one military contract to keep im visa.
About 1,400 citizens from across Africa dey fight alongside Russian forces for Ukraine, wit some recruited through deception, Ukraine govment bin tok recently.
❗️In the Luhansk region, military intelligence operatives discovered the bodies of two citizens of the Federal Republic of Nigeria — Hamzat Kazeen Kolawole (03.04.1983) and Mbah Stephen Udoka (07.01.1988).
— Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (@DI_Ukraine) February 12, 2026
