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A Nigerian, Balogun Ridwan allegedly recruited to fight for Russia in its ongoing war with Ukraine has been captured by Ukrainian forces.
A Ukrainian media platform, UnitedMedia24, reported the alleged deceptive recruitment of Ridwan, a Nigerian national, and his subsequent arrest by the Ukrainian army.
According to the report, Ridwan was induced to travel to Russia under the pretext of an engineering job offer but was forced to sign a contract with the Russian military upon his arrival.
Ridwan said the contract was written in Russian, a language he did 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 Mr Ridwan underwent a few weeks of training before being deployed to the frontline, describing the training period as chaotic and harsh.
Narrating his ordeal, he recalled that their phones were confiscated and they were subjected to difficult conditions.
He also recounted that another recruit, an African identified as Bubaka, suffered a heart attack during training and nearly died.
“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 reportedly arrested on the frontline at a Russian base where he was deployed. The report stated that he surrendered to Ukrainian troops during a raid in January, although the exact location of his arrest was not disclosed.
Around the time of his arrest, Ridwan was also reported to have died in combat. Some Nigerian media platforms had previously listed him alongside Adam Anas, Akinlawon Tunde Quyuum, and Abugu Stanley Onyeka as Nigerians who died while fighting for Russia after allegedly being recruited under the guise of a “security job.”
It remains unclear when Ridwan arrived in Russia or when he was deployed, as the Ukrainian platform did not specify these details. However, the report stated that he is pleading for an opportunity to return to Nigeria.
Ridwan is seeking the intervention of the Nigerian government, insisting that he was deceived into joining the Russian military.
Video of Nigerian 🇳🇬Man Balogun Adisa Ridwan Tricked Into Russia’s War Appeals to President Tinubu to help him return home https://t.co/7iYybCP17i pic.twitter.com/rUnivpX6iX
— Nigeria Stories (@NigeriaStories) February 16, 2026
“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.
