Serious allegations of deception, human trafficking and forced military recruitment have emerged after several African nationals claimed they were tricked into fighting for Russia in its ongoing war with Ukraine.
Victims from Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya and other African countries allege they were promised well-paying 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 experience in a widely circulated video. Manchi said he left Lagos after being offered what appeared to be a legitimate overseas job, with promises of earning about ₦500,000 monthly.
According to him, a middleman facilitated his travel and provided documents that required minimal personal details. Believing the arrangement was genuine, he travelled via Addis Ababa to Moscow with the knowledge of his family.
Manchi said that upon arrival in Russia, he was handed over to unidentified men and taken to a military-style camp rather than a workplace. There, he allegedly met other recruits from Nigeria, Ghana, France, Brazil and China.
He claimed the recruits faced language barriers, relied on translation apps and were told there was “no way out.” Training reportedly escalated from drills to weapons handling, grenade practice and night operations, with injured recruits allegedly forced to continue.
Manchi further alleged they were moved at night into Ukrainian territory, where heavy gunfire erupted shortly after arrival. He said he was shot in the leg and survived for days with minimal food and water before receiving medical attention.
He described African recruits as being treated as “disposable fighters” in a conflict they never consented to join.
Similar accounts have emerged from Uganda and Kenya. In one video shared by journalist Phillip Obaji Jr., a Ugandan man said he and others were promised civilian jobs in supermarkets, airports and private security firms but were instead forcibly enlisted into the Russian military.
The Ugandan claimed they were kept under armed guard in underground shelters with poor living conditions before he escaped and surrendered to Ukrainian forces, who later verified his identity.
Researcher Sholla Ard has also alleged the existence of a recruitment network targeting young Africans. He claimed a Russian firm, ST3 Metal LLC, issued short-term employment letters to help recruits obtain visas before coercing them into military service.
Ard said travel routes allegedly passed through Juba, Nairobi and Turkey, adding that documents and testimonies he collected suggest some African recruits are missing or may have died in combat.
Human rights groups are now calling for urgent investigations by African governments, international organisations and the United Nations. Neither the Russian government nor ST3 Metal LLC has officially responded to the allegations.
By Michael Olugbode
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