The Russian Embassy in Nigeria has denied allegations that Russia is forcing African students, particularly Nigerians, to participate in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine in exchange for visa extensions.
Russia’s denial comes after a Bloomberg report on Monday claimed that Russia sought to recruit thousands of migrants and foreign students to bolster its troops, employing tactics similar to those of the Wagner mercenary group.
European officials claimed that the Kremlin was threatening to withhold visa extensions from African students and young workers unless they agreed to join the military effort.
The Russian Embassy, however, dismissed these reports as “fake news” and “entirely unfounded,” stressing the potential harm such misinformation could cause to educational cooperation between Russia and Nigeria.
The embassy stated that no associations of Nigerian students in Russia have confirmed these claims, adding that Nigerian students reportedly face no difficulties in extending their visas while pursuing their studies in Russia.
“The Embassy of the Russian Federation is compelled to emphasise that such news is not only false but also damages Russian-Nigerian educational cooperation by misleading numerous scholarship and grant applicants as well as their partners, who could be extremely concerned by such fakes,” the Russian Embassy said.
“The Embassy states that Nigerian students face no difficulties in extending their visas while continuing their studies in Russia. Numerous associations of Nigerian students in Russia have not reported any issues in obtaining the necessary documentation to continue their stay in the country.
“The Embassy welcomes the official press release of the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on this matter and expresses gratitude to the Ministry and the Association of Nigerian Students in Moscow for their efforts in debunking the fake news aimed at undermining the friendship and cooperation between Russia and Nigeria.”
