A 32-year-old Nigerian engineer, Balogun Adisa Ridwan, previously reported killed while fighting for Russia in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, has been found alive after being captured by Ukrainian troops in January 2026.
Ridwan had initially travelled to Russia seeking employment but was conscripted into the Russian army. In February, media reports circulated claiming he had been killed alongside three other Nigerians — Adam Anas, Akinlawon Tunde Kuyum, and Abugu Stanley Onyeka — in the conflict near Lyman, Ukraine.
Earlier reports indicated that Ridwan and other foreign recruits were lured to Russia with job promises. He said he was forced into military service without proper translation of documents, trained briefly, and then deployed to the front lines.
Ridwan, who was captured by Ukrainian forces on January 13, 2026, described his experience to a Ukrainian media outlet, United24Media, confirming that he is alive as a prisoner of war (POW).
“The day we were signing the contract, I didn’t understand the language,” Ridwan told an undercover reporter. “They didn’t allow us to use our phones to translate, so we signed our contracts. I told them already about my job. Maybe they were going to put me in my field. I didn’t know they would use me [as a soldier].”
Ridwan explained that he and another foreign recruit decided to surrender when they encountered Ukrainian troops. He praised the treatment he received:
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“I was lucky to be captured by the Ukrainians. They are good people. They told us to stand up and go with them. Ukrainians did not harm us; when we got to their base, we were welcomed—given clothes, coffee, kept in a warm place to remain calm. They made sure we were okay. I really appreciate that.”
Ridwan appealed to President Bola Tinubu and the Nigerian government to facilitate his repatriation, emphasising that he travelled abroad strictly to find civilian employment.
“I travelled to Russia on a tourist visa to find a job. The government of Russia grossly fooled me, turned me into a soldier, and sent me to war in Ukraine,” he said.
“I appeal to my government, to my president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Forgive your son. I left home to feed my family. It did not work out the way I wanted. I went to have a job as a mechanic or engineer. The Russian government totally fooled me.”
Ridwan’s case highlights the plight of foreign recruits misled into military service, raising concerns over recruitment practices in conflict zones and the need for consular intervention to protect citizens abroad.
Experts note that his safe capture and survival underscore the critical role of humanitarian treatment under international law, while also prompting calls for the Nigerian government to engage diplomatically for his immediate return.