Nigerian man reported killed fighting for Russia in Ukraine

Reports have emerged that a Nigerian national was killed while fighting on the battlefield for Russian forces against Ukraine.

The news was confirmed on Monday by journalist Jaafar Jaafar and security analyst Zagazola Makama.

Makama, in a post, described the incident as tragic, noting that the man had left his family in Northern Nigeria to enlist with the Russian army. “Sad. He left his family in Northern Nigeria to join Russia’s army to fight Ukraine. He was unfortunately killed in the battlefield,” Makama wrote.

Images circulating online reportedly show the deceased alongside his children.

The war, now in its fourth year since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and displaced millions.

Russia has faced manpower shortages and has increasingly relied on foreign recruits, private military contractors, and allied militias to sustain its campaign.

Ukraine, meanwhile, continues to receive military and financial support from Western allies, including the United States and European Union.