Foundation for Peace Professionals (PeacePro) has called on the Embassy of Russia in Nigeria to clarify recent allegations that Nigerian civilians were coerced into military service under deceptive employment arrangements.

In a statement issued by its Executive Director, Abdulrazaq Hamzat, the organisation said the Russian mission owes Nigerians and the international community an explanation regarding the circumstances surrounding what it described as an unfortunate and disturbing development.

The call follows reports that some Nigerian nationals, who travelled to Russia in search of employment, may have been misled into signing documents that allegedly led to their deployment to military facilities. One of the affected individuals, Mr Balogun, reportedly travelled to Russia on a tourist visa in pursuit of engineering opportunities but was instead taken to a military base shortly after arrival.

According to Balogun, he was presented with documents written in a language he did not understand and was allegedly denied access to a translator or his mobile phone before signing the papers. He claimed that after only a few weeks of training, he was deployed to a conflict zone.

“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,” Balogun stated.

Hamzat described the alleged incident as a grave breach of human rights and international norms, stressing that the matter raises serious diplomatic and legal concerns.

The organisation further urged the Federal Government to strengthen safeguards for Nigerians seeking opportunities abroad, noting that economic migration must not become a pathway to exploitation or involuntary involvement in armed conflicts.

PeacePro concluded that the situation warrants urgent diplomatic engagement, a transparent investigation and robust protection mechanisms to prevent further harm to Nigerian citizens overseas. (Guardian)

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