I Was Fooled Into War” — Says Nigerian Who Travelled to Russia for Work, Found Alive After Being Declared Dead
Balogun Adisa Ridwan, a 32-year-old Nigerian earlier reported killed in the war between Russia and Ukraine, has been found alive after being captured by Ukrainian troops in January.
Balogun had travelled to Russia on a tourist visa in search of work as a mechanic or engineer. Instead, he says he was misled into signing documents he could not understand and was deployed to the battlefield after only weeks of training.
“I was fooled into war,” he said. “The government of Russia grossly fooled me, turned me into a soldier, and sent me to war in Ukraine.”
According to him, phones were confiscated and no translator was provided when he signed the contract. “The day we were signing the contract, I didn’t understand the language… I didn’t know they would use me,” he said.
When he finally encountered Ukrainian troops near Lyman in the Donetsk region, he chose to surrender.
“I was lucky to be captured by the Ukrainians. They are good people,” Balogun said, describing his treatment in custody as humane. “They did not harm us… They made sure we were ok.”
While he was in captivity, news spread in Nigeria that he had been killed. His family and friends believed he was dead.
Now confirmed alive, Balogun is pleading with the Nigerian government for help to return home.
“I appeal to my government, to my president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Forgive your son. I left home to feed my family… The Russian government totally fooled me.”
Once mourned as a casualty of war, Balogun now faces the long journey home — a survivor of a conflict he says he never intended to fight.
