By Olukayode Idowu
The Federal Government has declared as false the conscription of Nigerian students and others from Africa in the ongoing war against Ukraine.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs made the declaration on Tuesday in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Amb. Eche Abu-Obe.
The statement read that: “The attention of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been drawn to news articles published by several Nigerian Media Outlets on Monday 10th June, 2024 informing the public that the Russian Government is engaging Nigerian and other African Students to participate in the ongoing war with Ukraine with the promise of Visa renewals.
“The Ministry wishes to inform that the Nigerian Embassy in Moscow is in close communication with the Executives of the Nigerian Students Association in Moscow, Russia and there has not been any reported case of conscription of Nigerian students nor indeed of other African students to fight in the aforementioned war.
“The newspaper reports are therefore, false and misleading and should therefore, be disregarded.
“The Ministry wishes to seize this occasion to appeal to media outlets to exercise due diligence in the line of duty by verifying information at their disposal before releasing to the public.”