‘The Government Fooled Me, Made Me a Soldier’ – Nigerian Declared Dead in Russia-Ukraine War Shares Ordeal

Balogun Adisa Ridwan, a Nigerian who fought in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, has claimed that he was tricked into joining the military while traveling overseas solely in pursuit of civilian work.

Recall that after being enlisted under false pretenses and taken to the battlefield, Ridwan was said to have perished in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine together with three other Nigerians: Adam Anas, Akinlawon Tunde Kuyum, and Abugu Stanley Onyeka.

After being taken prisoner by Ukrainian troops, Ridwan was discovered alive, according to information obtained.

Reports state that on January 13, 2026, Ridwan surrendered along the front lines and was captured by Ukrainian forces close to the city of Lyman in the Donetsk area.

Speaking about his experience, Ridwan said he was promised a job but ended himself at a military camp where he had to sign documents he couldn’t comprehend because of a language barrier.

“I came to Russia on a tourist visa in search of employment,” he stated. I was utterly duped by the Russian government, who also made me a soldier and sent me to fight in Ukraine.

“I didn’t grasp the wording on the day we signed the deal. We signed our contracts because they forbade us from using our phones for translation. I’ve previously explained my work to them. I might have been placed in my field. I had no idea they would take advantage of me.

Ridwan claimed that when he and another foreign recruit came upon Ukrainian troops, they made the decision to surrender right away.

According to him, Ukrainian soldiers treated him humanely while he was in detention, giving him food, clothing, and warm shelter instead of hurting him.

“I was fortunate to be captured by the Ukrainians,” he said. They are decent individuals.

Additionally, Ridwan pleaded with President Bola Tinubu to step in and facilitate his return to Nigeria.

“I appeal to my government, to my president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he continued. Pardon your son. To provide for my family, I left home. It didn’t turn out the way I had hoped. I went to work as an engineer or mechanic. The Russian authorities completely deceived me.