Ukrainian Forces Arrest Another Nigerian Fighting for Russia
- Nigerian Balogun Ridwan arrested by the Ukrainian Army for allegedly fighting for Russia in the Ukraine war
- Ridwan claims he was deceived into joining the Russian army under false job pretences
- He appeals to Nigerian President Tinubu for government intervention and forgiveness
Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over 8 years of experience covering metro, government policy, and international issues
The Ukrainian Army has arrested another Nigerian, Balogun Ridwan, who allegedly fought for Russia in its ongoing war.
Ridwan was arrested in a Russian base where he was deployed on the frontline.
Source: Twitter
The Nigerian was induced to travel to Russia under the pretext of an engineering job offer.
As reported by Premium Times, a Ukrainian media platform, UnitedMedia24, said the Nigerian was, however, forced to sign a contract with the Russian army upon his arrival.
The Nigerian said he didn’t understand his contract in the deceitful recruitment because it was written in Russian.
“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.”
He added that:
“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 disclosed that their phones were confiscated again, and they were subjected to harsh conditions.
According to Ridwan, he was trained for a few weeks and was eventually deployed to the frontline.
Ridwan described the training as largely chaotic, stating that an African recruit identified as Bubaka nearly died after suffering a heart attack during training.
“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.”
The report claimed that Ridwan is seeking the intervention of the Nigerian government.
The Nigerian alleged that he was “fooled” and would not have intentionally joined the Russian army.
“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.”
Nigerians killed in Russia-Ukraine war surface
Recall that Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate disclosed the identities of two Nigerians, killed while serving with Russian forces in the Luhansk region.
Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence said the two Nigerians, members of the 423rd Guards Motor Rifle Regiment of the Russian Armed Forces, were eliminated by a drone strike.
Russian Ambassador to Nigeria, Andrey Podyolyshev, denied any government-backed recruitment of Nigerians.
Why Nigeria, Others Should Stand with Ukraine
Legit.ng also reported that the Russian war against Ukraine enters its fourth year, with no sign of cessation from Vladimir Putin's regime, causing widespread devastation and posing significant threats to global food and energy security.
Ukraine, a key food supplier, has lost a substantial portion of its grain storage capacity due to the war, jeopardising its ability to supply essential agricultural products like wheat, corn, and sunflower oil to the world market.
In an exclusive interview with Legit.ng, Ukraine's ambassador to Nigeria, Kholostenko Ivan, highlighted Kyiv's efforts in ensuring food security and called for support from Nigeria and other countries.
Source: Legit.ng
