A Nigerian national, Balogun Ridwan, who was reportedly recruited to fight for Russia in its ongoing war with Ukraine, has been captured by Ukrainian forces.
A Ukrainian media outlet, UnitedMedia24, detailed Ridwan’s alleged deceptive recruitment and subsequent detention by the Ukrainian army.
According to the report, Ridwan travelled to Russia after being promised an engineering job. However, upon arrival, he was allegedly compelled to sign a contract with the Russian military.
Ridwan stated that the document he signed was written in Russian, a language he does not understand.
“The day we were signing the contract, I didn’t understand the language. They didn’t allow us to use our phones to translate, so we signed our contracts. I told them already about my job. Maybe they were going to put me in my field. I didn’t know they would use me,” he was quoted as saying.
UnitedMedia24 reported that Ridwan underwent several weeks of military training before being deployed to the frontline. The training period, he said, was disorganized and extremely demanding.
Recounting his experience, Ridwan said recruits’ mobile phones were taken away and that they endured harsh conditions during training.
He also described how another African recruit identified as Bubaka reportedly suffered a heart attack during the exercise and nearly lost his life.
“We spent 16 days, not weeks, but the guy [Bubaka] didn’t pass his training at all. He was still sent with us to go to war. This was very bad.”
Ridwan was said to have been apprehended at a Russian base near the frontline where he had been stationed. The report indicated that he surrendered to Ukrainian troops during a raid in January, although the specific location of the operation was not revealed.
At the time of his reported arrest, some Nigerian media outlets had circulated claims that Ridwan had died in combat. He was previously listed alongside Adam Anas, Akinlawon Tunde Quyuum, and Abugu Stanley Onyeka as Nigerians allegedly killed while fighting for Russia after being recruited under the guise of a “security job.”
It remains uncertain when Ridwan arrived in Russia or the exact date he was deployed, as those details were not specified in the Ukrainian report. However, he is now appealing for assistance to return home.
Ridwan is seeking intervention from the Nigerian government, insisting that he was misled into joining the Russian military.
“I travelled to Russia on a tourist visa to find a job.
The government of Russia grossly fooled me, turned me into a soldier, and sent me to war in Ukraine.
“I appeal to my government, to my president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Forgive your son. I left home to feed my family. It did not work out the way I wanted. I went to have a job as a mechanic or engineer,” he said.
What you should know
Balogun Ridwan, a Nigerian national, was reportedly recruited to Russia with the promise of an engineering job but claims he was forced to sign a military contract written in Russian upon arrival. He says he did not understand the terms of the agreement.
After undergoing brief and reportedly harsh training, he was deployed to the frontline in Russia’s war with Ukraine. He was later captured by Ukrainian forces during a raid in January, according to UnitedMedia24.
Ridwan is now appealing to the Nigerian government, including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for assistance in returning home, maintaining that he was deceived into participating in the conflict.
