Ukrainian Military intelligence has identified two Nigerian nationals, Hamzat Kolawole and Mbah Udoka, who allegedly died fighting for Russia on the frontlines of the ongoing war, now entering its fourth year. Their bodies were reportedly discovered in the Luhansk region in Eastern Ukraine, a key front-line area in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

According to a statement issued by the Ukrainian military, the two men joined the Russian army in mid-2025, with Mr. Kolawole enlisting on August 29 and Mr. Udoka on September 28. They were found dead, killed in late November by a Ukrainian drone strike "during an attempt to storm Ukrainian positions in the Luhansk region." The intelligence agency, however, did not specify the exact timing or circumstances of how their bodies were discovered. Attached to the statement were images of the two Nigerians in camouflage uniforms, along with three documents providing additional information about their identities and military status. Ukraine did not elaborate on how these documents, typically not carried by military personnel on active combat duty, were obtained.

PREMIUM TIMES, while unable to authenticate the documents or their content, reviewed the papers. Two of the three single-page documents were written in Russian, and the third was a mix of Russian and English. The document partially written in English appeared to be a contract signed by Mr. Kolawole. It contained his name, date of birth (April 23, 1983), and passport number B02437053. The first paragraph of this document stated Mr. Kolawole's decision to join the Russian army as "voluntary and conscious" and that he had voluntarily expressed interest in signing a contract with the Ministry of Defence to fight for Russia, with his name written on a designated signature line.

Conversely, the second paragraph outlined severe repercussions should Mr. Kolawole decline to sign the contract. It stated that refusal would lead to him being handed over to the police, held in prison for months awaiting deportation, and permanently banned from entering the Russian Federation. Furthermore, he would be required to reimburse the cost of airline tickets for his deportation from Nigeria to Russia. The single-page document also specified that upon signing, Mr. Kolawole would be deployed to a "stormtrooper unit," a term for front-line assault units, and that the contract would be valid for a one-year period.

A section of the document read: "Information for familiarisation. The contract with the Ministry of Defence is concluded for a 1-year period. You will be sent to a unit of stormtroopers. In case of any other intention to get to Russia, non-agreement to sign the contract, you will be taken to the police department, then you will have to wait many months for deportation in detention, and you will be banned from entering the Russian Federation forever. You will also need to compensate for the cost of buying round-trip tickets."

It remains unclear whether Mr. Kolawole's signing was truly voluntary. Multiple investigations have highlighted a concerning pattern of luring Africans, including Nigerians, Ghanaians, Kenyans, and Ugandans, as well as young men from Yemen, to Russia with promises of employment, higher wages, educational opportunities, or even citizenship. Upon arrival, many are allegedly deployed to combat zones. Reports by CNN, Punch, and BBC have documented cases where individuals found themselves threatened and pressured to sign military contracts without adequate translation or legal guidance.

The other documents, written entirely in Russian, pertain to Mbah Udoka and appear to confirm his status as a contract soldier and his deployment to the front lines. One document, serving as a certificate in place of a military ID card, lists Mr. Udoka's Nigerian passport number as B50550985 and his date of birth as January 7, 1988. This document, supposedly issued by the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation, authorized Mr. Udoka to serve under contract in the Russian Armed Forces. Another paper indicated he had officially been enlisted and was serving in Military Unit 91701 in Naro-Fominsk, Moscow Oblast, Western Russia, since October 3, 2025. His military ID number was identified as AB-988945. Both papers bore circular ink seals of the Russian emblem and carried the Ukrainian intelligence watermark.

Russia has consistently denied recruiting Nigerians as contract soldiers for the war. On Wednesday, Russian Ambassador to Nigeria, Andrey Podyolyshev, stated there are no government-backed programs to recruit Nigerians to fight in Ukraine, asserting that any such activities are not connected with the Russian state. "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 reiterated.

In response, Ukraine's intelligence agency has warned Africans and other foreigners against traveling to Russia or accepting job offers there. It stated that such a trip poses a real risk of being forced into a "suicide" assault unit, leading to them "ultimately, rotting in Ukrainian soil." The war, which began with Russia's invasion in February 2022, is estimated to have resulted in over two million troops from both sides being killed, wounded, or missing.