- Russia Speaks On Recruiting Nigerians Into Suicide Drone Factories.
- Nigerian govt disowns programme; foreign ministry denies any official involvement.
- AP report claims Nigerian women lured into assembling drones in Tatarstan.
The Russian government has denied reports alleging that young Nigerian women are being lured into suicide drone manufacturing facilities under the guise of scholarship opportunities.
In a statement issued by its embassy, Russia described the claims as false, colonial in tone, and part of a broader smear campaign allegedly orchestrated by Western-backed interests.
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EKO HOT BLOG reports that the statement follows mounting media scrutiny over activities at the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Alabuga, Tatarstan, with several Nigerian outlets citing sources that claim Nigerian women were deceived into working on military drone production lines. Russia dismissed the reports as “a plethora of fiction,” accusing what it termed “pro-Western paid writers” of fabricating stories involving human trafficking, forced labour, and prostitution.
Responding to allegations that recruiters targeted young Africans and Asians on social media with offers of education and high-paying jobs, the Russian embassy insisted that no exploitation occurred.
“The Nigerian press has shown growing interest in the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Alabuga,” the statement read. “Some local publications, particularly creative in their imagination, have published extensive reports about Nigerian girls and women being forced into work in factories in the Republic of Tatarstan.”
Russia maintained that the Alabuga SEZ, created in 2006, is a legitimate economic hub and a leader in efficiency among Russian industrial zones. The embassy dismissed the claims of trafficking and abuse as “colonial narratives” aimed at undermining Russia’s image.
“We support Africa and other nations in their fight against terrorism and colonial remnants,” the statement added. “The real neocolonialism is when African journalists are paid by former colonial powers to spread false information that distorts reality and misleads their people.”
However, the statement stopped short of directly addressing the core allegations raised by international investigations, including a detailed report by the Associated Press (AP). That report, and others by People’s Gazette and the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime, allege that Nigerian secondary school graduates—mostly women aged 18 to 22—were enrolled through a vocational programme at Alabuga Polytechnic College and ended up assembling Iranian-designed attack drones used by Russia in its war against Ukraine.
These investigations claim the young recruits were misled with promises of hospitality jobs and education but instead found themselves working long hours in hazardous drone assembly lines, with some reportedly injured during Ukrainian strikes on the facility.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s ambassador to Nigeria has warned that drone production sites in Alabuga are legitimate military targets, given their involvement in Russia’s ongoing conflict with Ukraine.
The Nigerian government has also distanced itself from the reports. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs clarified that it neither facilitated nor supported the recruitment of any Nigerians into such programmes and had not authorised any agency to send citizens abroad under the scheme.
Despite the Russian embassy’s dismissal, concerns persist globally over the use of foreign labour in military manufacturing and the exploitation risks facing young individuals from developing countries.
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