FG Speaks On Report Of Russia Forcing Nigerian Students To Join Ukraine War

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria Wednesday, June 12th, 2024

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The Federal Government has refuted claims that Russia is coercing international students to join in the ongoing conflict with Ukraine alongside its troops in exchange for visa renewal.

The African Examiner recalls that Bloomberg, an international media platform based in America had stated that Russia won’t extend the visas of African students and young workers unless they join its military in the fight against Ukraine.

The report disclosed that Russia intends to increase its manpower by recruiting international students to join the Russian military.

Reacting to this development, the Federal Government stated that the report was “false and misleading”.

In a statement on Tuesday, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Eche Abu-Obe, disclosed that there have been no reported cases of any Nigerian or other African students being enlisted to join the war.

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, June 10, 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.”