The Nigerian government has reacted to reports of conscription of Nigerian students by Russia in exchange for visa renewal.
In a report credited to Bloomberg, it was alleged that Russia is sending thousands of migrants and foreign students to fight alongside its troops in the war against Ukraine for visa renewal
According to the report, the assessment was done by some European officials who alleged that the Kremlin is doing so to add extra manpower using the tactics first deployed by the Wagner mercenary group.
The report added that Russia has been threatening not to extend the visas of African students and young workers unless they agree to join the military, according to officials familiar with the matter.
Moscow has also been enlisting convicts from its prisons while some Africans in Russia on work visas have been detained and forced to decide between deportation or fighting, one European official said. Some of those people had been able to bribe officials to stay in the country and still avoid military service, said the official, who, like other people cited, spoke on condition of anonymity.
Russia’s practice of sending migrants and students into battle under duress dates back to earlier in the war, another European official said. Those troops suffer especially high casualty rates because they are increasingly deployed in risky offensive maneuvers to protect more highly trained units, the official added.
However, reacting, the federal government described the report as false and misleading.
The FG’s reaction is contained in a statement issued by the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Eche Abu-Obe on Wednesday.
The statement reads: “The attention of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been drawn to news articles published by several Nigerian Media outlets on Monday 10th June, 2024, informing the public that the Russian Government is engaging Nigerian and other African Students to participate in the ongoing war with Ukraine with the promise of Visa renewals.
“The Ministry wishes to inform that the Nigerian Embassy in Moscow is in close communication with the Executives of the Nigerian Students Association in Moscow, Russia and there has not been any reported case of conscription of Nigerian students, nor indeed of other African students to fight in the aforementioned war.
The Newspaper reports are therefore, false and misleading and should therefore, be disregarded,” the government said.
Government also said the ministry wished to seize this occasion to appeal to media outlets to exercise due diligence in the line of duty by verifying information at their disposal before releasing to the public
