Former Nigerian Senator Shehu Sani Urges Nigerians and Africans: Do Not Enlist in Russia's Army

Shehu Sani - former Nigerian Senator for Kaduna Central, human rights activist, and President of the Civil Rights Congress of Nigeria - has publicly warned Nigerians and Africans across the continent to stop enlisting in the Russian Armed Forces.

In a post on X, Sani wrote:

"Nigerians and other Africans should desist from going to Russia to enlist in the Army for them to fight against Ukraine. Don't allow yourself to be mercenaries."

Sani is one of Nigeria's most prominent civil society voices. He served in the Nigerian Senate from 2015 to 2019, where he chaired the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts and served as Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs. He was jailed under multiple military regimes in the 1990s for his pro-democracy activism and was released only when civilian rule was restored in 1999.

Why This Matters

Sani's warning is part of a growing pattern of African politicians and governments paying direct attention to the recruitment of their citizens into Russia's war.

The shift is significant. For most of 2022 and 2023, African governments largely treated the Russia-Ukraine war as a distant concern. That is changing. Kenya approved two international anti-mercenary treaties as a part of its effort to stop the Russian recruitment pipeline. 

Uganda's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has directed its Moscow embassy to investigate the trafficking of Ugandan citizens into Russia's armed forces and to facilitate the return of any who wish to come home - a direct government order, in writing, to a sitting ambassador.

South Africa secured the release of 17 citizens who had been lured into the Russian Armed Forces through false promises of bodyguard training.

The trend is clear: what began as a problem ignored at the political level is now drawing responses from foreign ministries, parliaments, and public figures across the continent. Sani's statement is the latest signal that African civil society is finding its voice on this issue.

For Nigerians Considering Russia

If you have been offered a job, security contract, or any other opportunity in Russia - the accounts of men who took those offers are documented here in detail. Read what happened to them before making any decision.

If you or a relative has already traveled to Russia, ended up in its army and wants a way out - here is how to safely escape.

Source: Shehu Sani on X