Buhari responds to Nigerians enlisting as volunteer fighters in Ukraine

Days after Nigerians besieged Ukraine’s embassy in response to President Volodymy Zelenskyy call for volunteer fighters to join I resisting Russian invasion, President Muhammadu Buhari has responded.

In a statement issued on Monday by the spokesperson for the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Francisca Omayuli, those enlisting will not be allowed to go.

No fewer than 150 Nigerians responded to the call last week, though the Ukrainian embassy was not really forthcoming on its plan.

“As a responsible member of the international community and consistent with our obligations under international law, Nigeria discourages the use of mercenaries anywhere in the world and will not tolerate the recruitment, in Nigeria, of Nigerians as mercenaries to fight in Ukraine or anywhere else in the world,” the statement read in part.

Since Russians invaded Ukraine Feb 24, no country has intervened by sending its military–not even NATO and members of the European Union Ukraine has been itching to join.

But the Ukrainian authorities said no fewer than 16000 soldiers of fortune from around the world have arrived the country, and have been going through training.