Nigerians who want to fight Russian forces in Ukraine must pay $1,000 for a ticket and a visa, according to the Ukrainian Embassy in Nigeria.
When scores of Nigerian men converged on the embassy’s Abuja premises on Thursday to express their willingness to join the Ukrainian side, the embassy stated as much.
Bohdan Soltys, the Second Secretary at the Ukrainian Embassy in Nigeria, confirmed in an interview that Nigerian volunteers would need $1,000. It would be difficult for Nigerians to travel to Ukraine now since the airspace had been shut due to the war ,says Soltys.
He said since Nigerians needed visas to visit Romania and Poland, it would be difficult for them to use the land borders.
“It is normal practice when people want to volunteer and join the army of another country. It is a normal international practice. Of course, for us, it is an expression of support which we really appreciate. For now, no one has gone. We have received hundreds of applications from people who said they are willing. We have sent lists to the government but I cannot tell you what will happen next.
“In this particular case, you cannot fly to Ukraine. The only way you can fly is to countries that border Ukraine. All these countries are part of the EU and Nigerians will need visas to visit these countries. So, it is a big obstacle. You cannot fly directly to Ukraine. You will have to go to Poland or Hungary,” Soltys said.
The diplomat said Ukraine was not recruiting mercenaries but volunteers. He, therefore, advised Nigerians not to focus on the money. He, however, promised that Nigerian volunteers would be paid the same as Ukrainian soldiers.
“If a person wants to fight for Ukraine or any other country, only volunteers can do it. If Ukraine pays these people, they will be mercenaries and it violates international law… In general, when a person joins another country’s army, they pay the normal price that their soldiers are paid. This is how it works across the world. You come to fight because an injustice has been done,” he said
On why $1,000 was being demanded from Nigerian volunteers, the Ukrainian diplomat said, “Yes, $1,000. That is what I paid the last time I visited Ukraine.”
While thanking Nigeria for siding with Ukraine at the United Nations General Assembly, he pleaded with Nigerian citizens who may have been victims of racism during the evacuation in Ukraine not to feel offended, adding that war situations sometimes force people to act out of character.
He, however, advised Nigerians also not to fall for Russian propaganda.