By Betty KHAZIKE
A civil society organisation, the Initiative for Media Development and Social Impact, IMEDSI, has called on the Federal Government to urgently intervene in the disappearance of a 42-year-old Nigerian father of three, Ramon Jamiu Babatunde, who allegedly ended up in Russian military service after travelling to the country in search of civilian employment.
The organisation also demanded that the Russian authorities provide a comprehensive account of Nigerians recruited into the country’s war against Ukraine, following reports identifying at least 13 Nigerians allegedly killed while serving with Russian forces.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Friday and signed by Ms Onose Oseyi, IMEDSI expressed concern that Babatunde, who left his family in Ibadan, Oyo State, had not communicated with his wife since November 27, 2025, leaving her and their three children uncertain about his whereabouts and condition.
The group said the circumstances surrounding his disappearance raised serious questions about allegations that Nigerians and other economically vulnerable Africans were being recruited into Russia’s military through deceptive employment offers and potentially coercive contractual arrangements.
According to the organisation, documents made available to it indicated that Babatunde travelled to Russia in October 2025 after allegedly being recruited through a travel intermediary for what his family believed was civilian employment.
However, the documents reportedly showed that he was subsequently presented with a one-year military contract with the Russian Ministry of Defence.
IMEDSI said: “For almost a year, three Nigerian children have lived without knowing whether their father is coming home. Their mother has been left to confront an agonising uncertainty that no family should endure.
“This is no longer simply a question about foreign military recruitment. It is a test of Nigeria’s responsibility to protect its citizens and Russia’s willingness to account for foreign nationals recruited into its armed forces.”
The organisation disclosed that Babatunde’s Russian visa, issued on September 30, 2025, was a single-entry tourist visa valid from October 5, 2025, to January 2, 2026.
It added that another document dated October 17, 2025, bearing his name and passport details, purportedly recorded his agreement to a one-year military contract with the Russian Ministry of Defence.
Although the document described the enlistment as voluntary, IMEDSI said it contained provisions indicating that the recruit would be assigned to an assault unit. That refusal to sign could result in police detention, prolonged deportation proceedings, permanent exclusion from Russia, and repayment of travel expenses.
The organisation acknowledged that it had not independently authenticated the document or established the precise circumstances under which Babatunde allegedly signed it.
It, however, maintained that the apparent contradiction between voluntary enlistment and the threatened consequences of refusal raised fundamental questions about whether genuine consent had been obtained.
“A military contract signed under the threat of detention, deportation and financial penalties cannot simply be accepted at face value as evidence of free consent,” the group stated.
“If these documents are authentic, the Russian authorities must explain how Babatunde was recruited, the circumstances of his enlistment, where he was deployed and why his family has been unable to reach him.”
IMEDSI further observed that the purported contract specified a one-year term beginning in October 2025, which would ordinarily have elapsed in October 2026 if it took effect as indicated.
It said the family’s continued inability to establish his whereabouts after that period made the situation particularly disturbing. However, the document alone could not establish his present military or legal status.
The organisation revealed that Babatunde’s wife, Mrs Adewunmi Suliat Ramon, had petitioned the Minister of Foreign Affairs on May 9, 2026, seeking urgent government intervention.
IMEDSI urged the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to provide the family with a substantive update and designate a consular officer to pursue the matter.
“Ramon Babatunde is not a military statistic. He is a Nigerian citizen, a husband and a father. His family deserves more than uncertainty, and his country owes him more than silence,” it declared.
The organisation also raised concerns over reports identifying at least 13 individuals described as Nigerians who allegedly died while serving with Russian forces in Ukraine.
It said the names emerged from published reports, foreign intelligence claims and photographs circulated online, although their identities, nationalities, military affiliations and reported deaths had not all been independently verified.
Those identified in the materials reviewed by the organisation included Hamzat Kazeem Kolawole, Mbah Stephen Udoka, Ayebusiwa Olabode Victor, Adam Anas, Akinlawon Tunde Quyuum, Abugu Stanley Onyeka and Balogun Ridwan Adisa.
Others were Adekunle Adaramola, Abdoulaye Issaka Ismael, Agbo Moses Omale, Adamu Abdulai Ismail, Fajobi Taiwo Omoniyi and an individual identified only as Mikael, whose surname remained unconfirmed.
IMEDSI called on the Federal Government to authenticate the reports, reconcile discrepancies in the identities and establish whether the individuals were Nigerian citizens who served with Russian forces.
