The government of Ukraine has announced that it has identified two Nigerians killed in their war against Russia, which was disclosed on Thursday in a statement by Ukraine’s Military Intelligence stating that the corpses of the Nigerians, identified as Hamzat Kolawole, 42, and Mbah Udoka, 38, were discovered in the Luhansk region in eastern Ukraine.
The statement reads in part, “Udoka received no training whatsoever—just five days later, on October 3, he was assigned to the unit and sent to the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. No training records for Kolawole have been preserved; however, it is highly likely that he also received no military training. His wife and three children remain in Nigeria.
“No training records for Kolawole have been preserved; however, it is highly likely that he also received no military training. His wife and three children remain in Nigeria.”
According to the statement, Kolawole and Udoka signed contracts with the Russian Army on August 29 and September 28, 2025, respectively, and the duo were reportedly killed in late November by a drone strike.
The statement also noted that “Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence warns foreign citizens against travelling to the Russian Federation or taking up any work on the territory of the aggressor state,” adding that a trip to Russia could result in a “real risk of being forced into a ‘suicide’ assault unit and, ultimately, rotting in Ukrainian soil.”
Last week, an investigation by CNN indicated that young Africans from Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, and Uganda were deceived into coming to Russia with fake job offers and then deployed to the front lines of the war.
