Five Nigerians killed in Russia-Ukraine War, New Report Reveals
Five out of 36 Nigerians recruited to fight in the Russia-Ukraine war have been killed, according to a new investigative report that sheds light on how vulnerable African youths are allegedly being drawn into the conflict under false pretences.
The findings are contained in a February 2026 report titled “The Business of Despair: The Russian Army’s Recruiting of African Fighters,” published by investigative group All Eyes on Wagner. The document details claims that young men were lured abroad with promises of jobs and education but later found themselves compelled to sign military contracts.
The report says Russia, following its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, increasingly turned to African countries to reinforce its forces. Drawing on a database of 1,417 African recruits compiled from Ukrainian sources between 2023 and mid-2025, the researchers identified Nigerians among foreign fighters allegedly deployed in high-risk combat roles described as “cannon fodder.”
Those confirmed dead were listed as Abdoulaye Issaka Ismael, 27; Agbo Moses Omale, 43; Adamu Abdulai Ismail, 25; Mikael, 47; and Fajobi Taiwo Omoniyi, 50. The investigation estimates that at least 316 African recruits have died in the war, with the real number possibly higher.
According to the report, the average age of African recruits is 31, with many said to come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Recruiters allegedly targeted individuals through social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Telegram and TikTok, circulating videos that portrayed an attractive lifestyle in Russia, complete with images of luxury cars and Moscow’s skyline.
The OSINT Accountability Project, which contributed to the investigation, claimed that recruitment networks involved travel agencies operating in both Russia and several African countries. These agencies were said to advertise “fast-track procedures,” discounted flights and employment opportunities, only for some recruits to be pressured into military service after arrival.
Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Cameroon and Gambia were listed among the primary target countries.
While offers reportedly included signing bonuses worth thousands of dollars, monthly salaries ranging between $2,000 and $2,500, health insurance and even a pathway to Russian citizenship, testimonies gathered in the report suggest many of those promises were not honoured. Some fighters allegedly complained of unpaid wages, deductions by intermediaries or payments far below what had been advertised.
