Ukraine unveils identities of Nigerians killed in war against Russia

Ukraine Unveils Identities of Nigerians Killed in War Against Russia

On February 12, 2026, the Ukrainian Defence Intelligence (UDI) publicly revealed the identities of two Nigerian nationals who lost their lives while fighting as mercenaries for Russia in the ongoing war against Ukraine.

The men were identified as Hamzat Kazeem Kolawole, born April 3, 1983, and Mbah Stephen Udoka, born January 7, 1988. According to UDI, both were discovered in the Luhansk region, where they had been deployed as part of Russia’s 423rd Guards Motor Rifle Regiment, a unit within the 4th Guards Kantemirovskaya Tank Division.

The intelligence report stated that Kolawole and Udoka signed contracts with the Russian Army in the latter half of 2025. Udoka, in particular, was deployed to occupied Ukrainian territories just five days after signing his contract, without receiving any formal training. Kolawole’s training records were not preserved, but it is believed he also received little to no preparation before being sent to the frontlines.

Tragically, both men were killed in late November 2025 during an attempted assault on Ukrainian positions. UDI clarified that they were eliminated by a drone strike and never engaged in direct combat. Kolawole is survived by his wife and three children in Nigeria.

The Ukrainian authorities issued a stern warning to foreign citizens, cautioning against traveling to Russia or accepting employment offers there, stressing that such ventures could lead to forced conscription into “suicide assault units” and death in Ukraine.

This revelation follows earlier reports by Daily Nigerian, which documented the deaths of four other Nigerians, Adam Anas, Akinlawon Tunde Quyuum, Abugu Stanley Onyeka, and Balogun Ridwan Adisa,  who were similarly recruited under false pretenses. These individuals were allegedly lured with promises of lucrative “security jobs” but were instead conscripted into the Russian military after minimal training.

Sources indicated that their deaths were first shared in a secret WhatsApp group created for African mercenaries. Reports also alleged that the Russian Embassy in Abuja facilitated their travel by issuing single-entry tourist visas without biometric capture or standard requirements, and that the recruits were promised salaries of 200,000 rubles (about ₦3.6 million) per month.

Upon arrival in Russia, however, they were forced into military service, had their passports confiscated, and were made to sign contracts in Russian without legal assistance or translation.

The Russian Ambassador to Nigeria, Andrey Podyolyshev, has denied any knowledge of Nigerians being recruited under a government-backed program, insisting that if such activities exist, they are not connected to the Russian state.

Nevertheless, Ukraine’s disclosure underscores the growing involvement of foreign nationals in the war and highlights the risks faced by those who are misled into joining the conflict.