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FG Warns Nigerians Against Illegal Recruitment Into Foreign Armed Conflicts
The Federal Government has warned Nigerians against illegal recruitment into foreign armed conflicts, expressing concern over a growing trend of citizens being deceived into participating in wars abroad under false pretences.
The Federal Government, in a statement issued in Abuja yesterday by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said it was alarmed by recent reports indicating that some Nigerians were lured with promises of lucrative jobs, educational opportunities and migration incentives, only to end up in combat zones.
The ministry’s spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, said the government was deeply worried about the safety of citizens recruited through deceptive means.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses grave concern over the rising and alarming cases of Nigerian citizens being illegally recruited to participate in foreign armed conflicts,” the statement read.
According to the ministry, media investigations and security reports suggest that several Nigerians were allegedly recruited under false pretences and later coerced into signing military service contracts.
“Recent media investigations and security reports indicate that Nigerian nationals were allegedly recruited under false pretences, including promises of lucrative employment, security jobs, educational opportunities, or migration incentives,” the statement said.
It added that some victims were reportedly deployed to combat zones after being misled and pressured into agreements they did not fully understand.
The ministry said recruitment tactics reportedly included deceptive offers such as high monthly salaries, signing bonuses and fast-tracked citizenship opportunities.
“In several instances, victims are reportedly compelled to sign contracts in foreign languages without adequate legal guidance, and their travel documents are allegedly confiscated upon arrival,” it stated.
The government also alleged the involvement of intermediaries who facilitate travel arrangements using tourist or other non-military visa categories.
Warning Nigerians against such offers, the Federal Government said participation in foreign armed conflicts outside approved frameworks could have serious legal and security consequences.
“The Federal Government of Nigeria unequivocally warns all citizens against engaging in or accepting any offer that involves participation in foreign armed conflicts.
“Such actions not only endanger lives but may also violate Nigerian and international laws governing mercenary activities and foreign enlistment,” the ministry said.
It further stressed that Nigerians who choose to participate in foreign conflicts without official government approval do so at their own risk.
To tackle the situation, the ministry disclosed that the government was engaging domestic and international partners to investigate the matter and improve public awareness about the dangers associated with illegal recruitment.
“Nigerian missions abroad have also been directed to strengthen consular vigilance and provide timely advisory services to Nigerian nationals,” the statement added.
The government also appealed to parents, guardians, community leaders and educational institutions to sensitise young Nigerians about the risks of deceptive foreign recruitment schemes.
The ministry advised citizens to verify overseas employment or academic opportunities through official government channels and to report suspicious recruitment activities to relevant authorities.
Reaffirming its commitment to citizens’ welfare, the ministry said Nigeria would continue to protect the dignity and safety of its nationals at home and abroad.
“Nigeria remains committed to safeguarding the welfare and dignity of its citizens at home and abroad and reiterates its position that Nigerian nationals must not be exploited or trafficked into foreign conflicts under any circumstances,” the statement added.
Reports and videos have alleged that some Nigerians and other Africans were recruited under the pretext of security jobs and other opportunities in Russia, only to be later deployed to the war front after little or no training.
Reports also indicate that, following its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russia allegedly turned to African nations to bolster its military ranks.
According to Ukrainian sources, foreign fighters, including Nigerians, are reportedly deployed by Russia as cannon fodder in high-risk assault operations.
Many Nigerians have been reported killed while fighting in a war they knew little or nothing about, while others have appealed for help and requested to be repatriated.
However, the Russian Ambassador to Nigeria, Andrey Podyolyshev, at a press briefing last week, denied any official involvement of the government in the recruitment.
He said, “There is no government-supported programme to recruit Nigerians to fight in Ukraine. If there are illegal organisations or individuals trying to recruit Nigerians by unlawful means, this is not connected with the Russian State.”
He added that Russia was ready to investigate any credible information.
“If anybody has this information, we are ready to send it to Russian law enforcement authorities so they can investigate those cases,” he said.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted 1.63 million pills of tramadol concealed in two long trailers heading for Kano as it intensified efforts to dismantle a transnational drug trafficking syndicate operating along the Togo-Benin Republic-Nigeria corridor.
The agency also arrested an 80-year-old suspected drug dealer in Rivers State, a businesswoman linked to cannabis shipments from Canada, a Chadian woman, a couple and other suspects in coordinated operations across Lagos, Edo, Kogi and Rivers states.
The NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement, yesterday.
According to the statement, the latest intelligence-led operation came barely one week after NDLEA operatives recovered 558,900 pills of tramadol concealed in the false-bottom compartment of a truck that entered Lagos through the Togo-Benin Republic route.
Babafemi said, “Ongoing efforts to dismantle a transnational drug trafficking syndicate smuggling tramadol from Togo, through Benin Republic into Nigeria have yielded another success with the interception of two long trailers used to move One Million Six Hundred and Thirty (1,630,000) pills of tramadol 250mg concealed in fabricated compartments of the trucks across multiple borders into Lagos.”
He added that one of the two trailers was intercepted on July 2 along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, where operatives recovered 853,000 pills of tramadol 250mg concealed in a fabricated compartment beneath the cargo floor.
Babafemi said, “One of the two trucks already heading to Kano was tracked and located on 2nd July 2026 along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway where NDLEA officers recovered 853,000 pills of tramadol 250mg concealed in a fabricated compartment beneath the cargo floor of the trailer and arrested the 22-year-old driver Jabir Kabiru.”
He further disclosed that another trailer was intercepted two days later on the same route.
“Two days later, 4th July, NDLEA operatives acting on processed intelligence successfully tracked and recovered the second trailer from the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway while heading to Kano. A total of 777,000 pills of tramadol 250mg concealed in a fabricated compartment beneath the cargo floor of the truck were evacuated and the 22-year-old driver Muhammed Nuhu arrested,” the statement read.
According to Babafemi, investigations established a link between the three intercepted consignments.
He said, “Investigations revealed that all three trucks and consignments intercepted on 21st June, 2nd July and 4th July belong to the same transnational drug trafficking syndicate operating along the Togo-Benin Republic-Nigeria axis.”
The agency also intercepted 4.70 kilograms of Canadian Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, at the import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.
Babafemi said, “Two consignments of Canadian Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, with a combined weight of 4.70 kilograms have been intercepted at the import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos. The cargoes, which arrived the Lagos airport from Canada in cartons with ‘Odugwu’ boldly written on them, came aboard British Airways and Ethiopian Airlines flights on 24th June and 3rd July respectively.”
He said two cargo agents, Ali Rotimi Samson and Orimolade Oluwagbenga, were initially arrested in connection with the shipments, while another suspect, Edeh Onyeamachi Stanislus, was apprehended after arriving at a logistics company to take delivery of the consignments.
The Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction has denied claims that it has commenced registration for a purported ?50,000 National Support Allowance.
The ministry, in a public notice posted on its official X handle, yesterday, described messages, links and websites advertising the alleged programme as fraudulent.
It urged Nigerians to disregard such claims and verify information only through official government channels.
“The Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction has NOT commenced registration for any ?50,000 National Support Allowance,” the ministry said.
It added, “Disregard fraudulent messages, links and websites claiming otherwise. Verify any info only through official govt channels.”
The alert is in response to a circulating scam flyer that falsely claims the program is ongoing under President Bola Tinubu’s directives.
The fake advertisement, which includes text in Hausa and English, directs victims to a suspicious website (kluspz.com) for applications.
The ministry’s warning comes amid heightened concerns over digital fraud targeting vulnerable populations seeking social support.
Similar scams have previously surfaced around programs like N-Power, prompting questions from citizens in replies to the official post.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has expressed its preparedness for a major national struggle for a comprehensive review of the national minimum wage.
NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, hinted at this while making his remarks at the commissioning of the Comrade Godwin Abumisi Pensioners Legacy House and Multipurpose Hall in Abuja.
Ajaero said it is no longer acceptable to discuss the welfare of workers without also discussing the welfare of those who have completed their active years of service.
He advised workers and pensioners to get prepared for the ideological and economic battles that lie ahead.
According to the NLC president, “The Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) is one of the proud affiliates of the Nigeria Labour Congress. Therefore, your struggle is our struggle, and your welfare remains a priority for the organised labour movement.
“We are currently in the preparatory stages for a major national struggle for a comprehensive review of the national minimum wage.
“However, let me state unequivocally that it is no longer acceptable to discuss the welfare of workers without also discussing the welfare of those who have completed their active years of service.
“Accordingly, the Nigeria Labour Congress will not only push for a new national minimum wage but will also demand the establishment of a national minimum pension. It is a historical injustice that men and women who devoted their youth, strength and productive years to the service of this nation should be condemned to live below the poverty line after retirement.”
Ajaero noted that the cost of living has risen astronomically as food, healthcare and transportation have become increasingly unaffordable.
“We cannot continue to allow our senior citizens to survive on pensions that have become poverty wages. Every retiree deserves to live with dignity after decades of faithful service to the nation,” he said.
He urged pensioners across the country to remain united and prepared as the process begins, adding: “This Legacy House should not merely be seen as a physical structure; it should become a centre for mobilisation, strategic engagement and solidarity as we prepare for the struggles ahead.”
The NLC president pointed out that the working class has always understood that “those who exploit workers are united in advancing their interests. We too must remain united in defending our collective interests and ensuring that government fulfils its obligations to both serving workers and retirees.”
He urged pensioners across the country to remain united and prepared as the process begins, adding: “This Legacy House should not merely be seen as a physical structure; it should become a centre for mobilisation, strategic engagement and solidarity as we prepare for the struggles ahead.”
The NLC president pointed out that the working class has always understood that “those who exploit workers are united in advancing their interests. We too must remain united in defending our collective interests and ensuring that government fulfils its obligations to both serving workers and retirees.”
He said the completion of the project should serve as a clarion call to all workers and lovers of the masses.
“We must not only build physical structures but also build a strong movement capable of compelling government to honour its commitments,” he said.
Ajaero further stated: “We will continue to demand the immediate payment of all outstanding pension arrears and the implementation of a pension regime that guarantees every retiree a life of dignity and security.
“Together, we shall continue to fight until every Nigerian worker and pensioner receives the justice, respect and welfare they deserve.”
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