How Nigerian Ex-Naval Officer Allegedly Tricked Into Russia’s Army via Fake Job Offer

How Nigerian Ex-Naval Officer Allegedly Tricked Into Russia’s Army via Fake Job Offer

A retired officer of the Nigerian Navy, Adamu Abubakar, was allegedly lured with a fake dollar-paying security job and later coerced into Russia’s military, where he was deployed toward the Ukraine war and eventually required psychiatric care, according to accounts from his family, legal representatives and medical records.

In November 2025, Abubakar completed administrative paperwork at the Russian Embassy in Nigeria after a Lagos-based agent assured him of a civilian security job in Russia with a promised $2,000 monthly salary. His wife, Hadiza Abubakar, said he followed due process, including biometric capture and visa issuance, believing his tourist visa would later be converted to a work permit upon arrival.

However, upon landing in Russia, Abubakar’s experience reportedly departed sharply from standard international travel procedures. Instead of passing through normal immigration checks, he was allegedly diverted from official screening, had his travel documents seized, and was transported with other foreign nationals in a guarded bus to an undisclosed location. According to accounts relayed by his wife, the group was pressured to sign documents written entirely in Russian, without interpretation or explanation. Those documents later turned out to be military enlistment papers.

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Available evidence shows that Abubakar was enlisted as a contract soldier on November 10, 2025, assigned a military rank, and moved between several locations connected to Russia’s war against Ukraine. The conflict, now in its fourth year, began after tensions escalated over Ukraine’s growing alignment with NATO. Despite repeated assurances, Abubakar’s family says the promised monthly salary was never paid.

By early February 2026, Abubakar’s mental state reportedly deteriorated significantly. Medical documents from Russian military facilities cited acute anxiety and stress-related psychiatric conditions, recommending psychiatric hospitalisation and close observation to assess his suitability for further military duties. He was later evacuated to a medical facility in Bryansk, a region that has been repeatedly affected by the conflict. Since then, communication with his family in Nigeria has been restricted and irregular, worsening their emotional distress.

Abubakar’s ordeal reflects a wider pattern involving African nationals, many of whom are allegedly recruited through deceptive job offers promising security work, education, or residency opportunities, only to be redirected into military roles after arrival in Russia. Investigations and official statements from Ukraine have confirmed that foreign nationals, including Nigerians, have been killed while fighting for Russia, while others remain trapped in combat zones with little chance of safe return.

Despite documentary evidence showing Abubakar’s visa issuance and embassy processing, Russian officials in Nigeria have denied any knowledge of him. This claim has been challenged by his legal representatives, who argue that the circumstances point to non-disclosure, coercion and possible abduction. A formal request has been submitted to Russian authorities seeking his urgent repatriation to Nigeria.

Nigeria’s Nigerians in Diaspora Commission and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have since issued public warnings urging citizens to avoid all forms of foreign military recruitment, stressing that participation in overseas conflicts could violate Nigerian and international law. The Nigerian Navy has confirmed that Abubakar served for over a decade before retiring and was not on active service at the time of his departure from Nigeria.

Back in Kano State, Abubakar’s wife and children remain deeply traumatised, appealing for urgent diplomatic intervention to secure his safe return. As official inquiries continue, the case has renewed concerns over overseas job scams, weak regulation of recruitment agents, and the growing risks Nigerians face when foreign employment offers intersect with international armed conflicts.

How Nigerian Ex-Naval Officer Allegedly Tricked Into Russia’s Army via Fake Job Offer