The Russian Embassy in Nigeria has denied reports that Nigerian students are being conscripted to fight with Russian troops in Ukraine in exchange for visa renewals.
A Bloomberg report claimed that Russia has decided not to renew visas for African students and young workers unless they agree to join its military to fight against Ukraine.
The Russian Embassy dismissed the report as fake news, stating on Wednesday, June 12, 2024, that it aims to undermine the friendship and cooperation between Russia and Nigeria. The embassy assured that Nigerian students in Russia face no difficulties in extending their visas and that no student has confirmed these allegations.
The embassy’s statement read, “The Embassy of the Russian Federation is compelled to emphasize that such news is not only false but also damages Russian-Nigerian educational cooperation by misleading numerous scholarship and grant applicants as well as their partners, who could be extremely concerned by such fakes.
“The Embassy states that Nigerian students face no difficulties in extending their visas while continuing their studies in Russia. Numerous associations of Nigerian students in Russia have not reported any issues in obtaining the necessary documentation to continue their stay in the country.
“The Embassy welcomes the official press release of the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on this matter and expresses gratitude to the Ministry and the Association of Nigerian Students in Moscow for their efforts in debunking the fake news aimed at undermining the friendship and cooperation between Russia and Nigeria.”
The Federal Government also dismissed the report as “false and misleading.”
In a statement on Tuesday, June 11, 2024, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Eche Abu-Obe, stated that there have been no reported cases of Nigerian or other African students being enlisted to join the war. The Ministry urged media outlets to verify information before releasing it to the public.
