The foreign ministry of Nigeria has announced an urgent warning over what it describes as the increasing illegal recruitment of its citizens to fight in conflicts abroad.
This warning comes after Ukrainian officials revealed that they found the bodies of two Nigerians who they said were killed last year in combat.
For now, there are no reports in West Africa confirming those deaths. However, in a statement released on Sunday, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, the foreign ministry spokesperson, said, “Several Nigerians who have fallen victim to such unfortunate situations were deployed to combat zones after being misled and coerced into signing military service contracts.”
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Nigeria is not the only African nation linked to foreign conflicts. Kenya also has reportedly issued a similar warning to its citizens, insisting that people do not place themselves in danger in their quest to seek greener pastures.
According to Nigerian officials, investigations and security reports show that some citizens were enticed with promises of well-paid employment, security work, educational opportunities or migration incentives, only to find themselves thrust into active war zones.
According to reports, victims were allegedly forced to sign contracts written in foreign languages without proper legal advice in some cases, and their travel documents were taken away upon arrival.
Also, intermediaries are said to arrange travel using tourist or other non-military visas.
This alarming situation is now being taken seriously by the nationals in the West African country as scams and illegal recruitment continue to worsen by the day.
Citizens from other African nations who have been exploited report poor training, language barriers, discrimination, and limited legal protection.
Sources close to the grounds also say they are frequently deployed to high-risk front lines, sometimes with inadequate military training and equipment.
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If they are injured or die in the process, families back home struggle with little information on their situation, and should a fighter return home, they may face stigma or legal consequences.
