Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, has sounded a strong warning to Nigerian youths against being lured into joining the Russian Army to fight in the ongoing war in Ukraine.
In a post on his official X handle on Wednesday, October 1, 2025, the civil rights activist condemned a video circulating online in which one Obiorah was seen urging Nigerian youths to travel to Russia and enlist in its military ranks.
“I wish to appeal to our young people not to fall to such enticement or inducement. Don’t join the Russian Army to fight in Ukraine,” Sani wrote.
The former senator’s caution comes amid growing concerns about the exploitation of African youths in foreign wars. Reports over the past two years have suggested that young men from various parts of Africa are being promised financial rewards, work permits, and eventual citizenship in exchange for joining the frontlines in Ukraine.
Sani described such promises as dangerous illusions that could trap Nigerians in a conflict they neither started nor fully understand. According to him, no amount of financial inducement or residency offer is worth the risk of death in a foreign battlefield.
The appeal is timely, as economic hardship and unemployment in Nigeria continue to make young people vulnerable to dubious opportunities abroad. Sani, however, argued that such desperation should never be exploited to recruit Nigerians into wars that bring only grief and tragedy.
Shehu Sani, known for his outspoken activism and history of advocating for peace and justice, reminded the youth that their future lies in building Nigeria, not in fighting proxy wars for global powers.
The Russia-Ukraine war, which broke out in February 2022, has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and displaced millions. As the conflict drags on, reports of foreign mercenary recruitment have raised alarm across the world, with governments warning their citizens to resist such inducements. See, More, Here>>>