The Russian Embassy in Nigeria has denied reports that Nigerian students are being conscripted to fight in the Ukraine war in exchange for visa renewals. According to Bloomberg, Russia allegedly decided not to extend the visas of African students and young workers unless they agreed to join its military. However, the Russian Embassy refuted this, calling the report fake news and asserting that Nigerian students face no issues in extending their visas.
In a statement on June 12, 2024, the embassy emphasized that such false reports harm Russian-Nigerian educational cooperation and mislead potential scholarship applicants. The embassy noted that Nigerian student associations in Russia have not reported any problems with visa extensions. The Russian Embassy also welcomed the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ press release, which debunked the false news.
Similarly, the Nigerian Federal Government dismissed the report as false and misleading. On June 11, 2024, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Ambassador Eche Abu-Obe stated that there have been no reported cases of Nigerian or other African students being recruited to join the war. The Ministry urged media outlets to verify information before publishing.