Nigerian Man Forced into Russian Army Amid Outrage

Abubakar Adamu, a Nigerian man from Ogun State, reported being forcibly conscripted into the Russian army while seeking employment as a security guard. After arriving in Moscow on a tourist visa issued on October 16, 2025, his travel documents were confiscated, and he was compelled to sign enlistment papers written in Russian without understanding their content.

Adamu underwent a brief training program before being deployed to the frontlines in Ukraine, where he was captured. He suffered a heart-related episode during training and was hospitalized for five days.

Upon recovery, he realized he had been conscripted against his will and refused to comply with further orders, despite being threatened with a three-month jail term. His lawyer has invoked the doctrine of non est factum, arguing that Adamu did not understand the nature of the documents he signed.

Meanwhile, on February 12, 2026, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry released photographs of two other Nigerians, Hamzat Kazeem and Stephen Udoka, who had also enlisted in the Russian military without prior training.