LAGOS, Feb 17, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Nigeria warned its nationals against being recruited for armed conflicts abroad after reports that some were duped into fighting for Russia in Ukraine, as were citizens of other African countries. They travelled to Russia and were forced to sign contracts in Cyrillic that they could not understand before being deployed to the front. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said last week he had discussed with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin the return of South Africans lured into fighting for Russian forces in Ukraine. Testimonies have also emerged in Uganda, an ally of Russia that has so far avoided criticising Moscow. Ukraine said in November it had identified at least 1,436 citizens from 36 African countries fighting for Russia.

Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha February 17, 2026 11:25 UTC