Nigeria recently made international headlines for the wrong reason – again. Reports emerged recently that Nigerian youths were deceptively recruited into Russian factories, where they are now allegedly being used to manufacture drones for the ongoing war against Ukraine.
To the shock of many, the Nigerian government said it had no knowledge of the scheme until the media exposed it. According to investigations, the Russian authorities lured these young Nigerians with promises of a non-existent “special scholarship programme.” Instead of receiving education or skills training, the so-called beneficiaries were placed in drone assembly lines – exploited under the guise of opportunity and subjected to conditions that reportedly violate international human rights and labour laws.
Worse still, the Russian government, through its embassy in Nigeria, merely dismissed the reports, claiming the individuals were not subjected to slave labour. It failed, however, to deny that the deceptive recruitment took place.
In similar fashion, the Nigerian government weakly distanced itself, stating only that it neither authorised nor participated in the scheme.
The lack of urgency, transparency, and accountability from both governments is deeply troubling. The reported actions not only breach international labour laws, but also fundamental human rights charters.
Article 4 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) clearly states that “no one shall be held in slavery or servitude” while Article 5 says that “no one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.” On both counts, Russia appears to have acted in gross violation of these principles.
Furthermore, if the report that women and minors are among the recruits is accurate, the situation becomes even more appalling. ILO Convention 182 on the Worst Forms of Child Labour, to which Russia is a signatory, explicitly prohibits the use of children in hazardous work, especially those involving toxic substances and dangerous environments.
While we condemn the desperation that drives some Nigerian youths to embrace foreign opportunities without due diligence, we are far more disturbed by the tepid response of Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The saga raises serious security questions that cannot be ignored.
How did Russia successfully recruit and transport large numbers of Nigerian youths without detection by the country’s numerous security agencies? Who processed and approved their travel documents? How did they exit Nigerian airports or border points without interception? Who are the Nigerian facilitators of this shady arrangement?
Given the volatile context of Russia’s war in Ukraine, how could such a recruitment drive have gone unnoticed or, worse, unchallenged?
As a newspaper, we demand that the Federal Government of Nigeria immediately launch a full-scale investigation into this scandalous episode. Every individual – government official, agency representative, or third-party actor – who was directly or indirectly involved must be identified and held accountable.
President Bola Tinubu’s administration must also wake up from its slumber in matters of international diplomacy. It must urgently engage the Russian government to demand the protection and repatriation of all affected Nigerian youths. Furthermore, Nigeria must demand compensation for the victims of this exploitation.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs must rise to this challenge. For two years, Nigeria has failed to appoint heads of its foreign missions, leaving its diplomatic presence in disarray.
Posterity will not be kind to any official who presides over such a discreditable era of Nigeria’s foreign policy history. Our image is at stake, our youths are being exploited abroad, and our silence is complicity.
The Nigerian government must also reassess its bilateral relationship with Russia. Any partnership that permits the exploitation of our citizens must be reviewed, if not suspended altogether.
We call on the United Nations, the International Labour Organisation (ILO), and other international bodies to support Nigeria in holding Russia accountable for this gross violation of human rights.
Nigerians are not expendable and must not be seen as such. Not in Russia. Not anywhere. And certainly not under any government that claims to care for its people.
The present administration must use this distasteful action by Russia to send a message of deterrence to other countries that may harbour such thoughts in the future.
