The embassy responded Wednesday to a Bloomberg report claiming Russia is forcing African students to fight in Ukraine for visa renewals.
Bloomberg reported that Russia is allegedly sending thousands of migrants and foreign students, including Nigerians, to fight alongside its troops in the war against Ukraine in exchange for visa renewals.
The newspaper quoted European officials who claimed that Russia is using coercive tactics to recruit Africans and other foreign nationals, threatening to withhold visa extensions unless they join the military.
"Some Africans in Russia on work visas have been detained and forced to choose between deportation or fighting," Bloomberg cited a European official.
The Nigerian government refuted this report in a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs late Tuesday, noting that it was in contact with the student body in Russia.
In response, the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Nigeria stated, "We have observed with bewilderment the publication of articles on June 10 in several Nigerian media outlets. These articles, citing the dubious American news agency Bloomberg, known for spreading anti-Russian fake news, alleged that African students, especially those from Nigeria, are being coerced into fighting for Russia in exchange for visa extensions."
"The Embassy of the Russian Federation insists that such news is not only false but also harms Russian-Nigerian educational cooperation by misleading numerous scholarship and grant applicants, as well as their partners, who may be seriously concerned by such fabrications.
SOurce: Vanguard News
Image: Daily Trust
