FG Says It Is Investigating Deceptive Recruitment of Nigerians for Jobs Abroad, How to Avoid Being a Victim

The Federal Government says it is investigating fake job and study offers that send Nigerians abroad into war zones. See the tricks used, red flags, and how to check any overseas job offered

The Federal Government says it is investigating the deceptive recruitment of Nigerians for jobs and study opportunities abroad, after reports that some of them were sent into foreign wars. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs made this known in a statement on Sunday, February 15, 2026, signed by its spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, and the Minister at the time, Yusuf Tuggar, was quoted in it.

If you or someone you know is looking for work or school abroad, read this one slowly.

What the Federal Government said about this deceptive recruitment

The ministry said recent media investigations and security reports show that Nigerians were recruited under false promises. The promises were things like high-paying jobs, security jobs, school admission, or an easy way to relocate abroad.

Some of those who fell for it were allegedly pushed into combat zones. According to the minister, they were misled and forced to sign military service contracts.

Here is what the government says it is doing about it:

• Working with local and international partners to investigate the recruitment networks.
• Telling Nigerian missions abroad to watch the situation more closely and give timely advice to Nigerians.
• Asking parents, guardians, community leaders and schools to warn young people about these schemes.

The ministry also made one thing clear. Any Nigerian who joins a foreign conflict outside approved government arrangements does so at their own risk.

I could not find any public result of the investigation yet, such as arrests or a list of agents. Only the statement and the warning are out so far. This post will be useful for you now, and the facts above are what the government has confirmed.

How these fake job offers were reportedly done

From what the ministry said, the offers came with very big salaries, signing bonuses, and a quick way to get citizenship. Those three things are the bait.

Agents were also reported to arrange the travel with a tourist visa or some other visa that has nothing to do with the military. So the person travels thinking it is a normal job, and the real contract shows up after arrival.

A CNN investigation, as reported by Nairametrics, found that recruiters lured Africans to Russia with offers of ordinary jobs like security work or driving. Nigerians were among those named, along with Ghanaians, Kenyans and Ugandans. Other reports say some Nigerians hired as security staff in Russia ended up in the war in Ukraine, and some died.

Red flags in an overseas job or study offer

Use this list on any offer that reaches you, whether it comes by WhatsApp, Facebook, Telegram or a friend of a friend.

• The salary is far higher than what that job pays anywhere.
• You are promised citizenship or a residence permit quickly.
• A signing bonus is paid before you have even started work.
• The agent says come on a tourist visa, “we will fix the work permit there.”
• The job title is vague, like “security” or “support staff,” with no named employer you can check.
• You are told to sign a contract in a language you can’t read, or after you land.
• Pressure to decide in a few days. Gone if you wait, they say.
• Any request that you keep it secret from your family.

If even two of these show up, stop and check before you pay or send any document.

How to check an overseas job offer before you accept

The government’s own advice is to verify every overseas job or study offer through official government channels and report anything suspicious to the proper authorities. Here is how to follow that in real life.

1. Ask for the name of the employer or school and find them yourself. Don’t use the link the agent sent you.
2. Ask for the job contract in writing, in English, before you pay anything or leave Nigeria.
3. Check that the visa you are given matches the work you will do. A tourist visa is not a work visa.
4. Call or visit the embassy or high commission of the country in question and ask if the offer is real.
5. Show the offer to someone who has worked abroad legally, and to your family. Don’t hide it.

There is one more thing I’d add. Nigeria’s Labour Ministry and NAPTIP, the agency that fights human trafficking, once disagreed in front of the House Committee on Diaspora about whether licences were still being issued to agencies that send workers abroad. So when an agent says “we are licensed,” that is not enough. Ask for the licence, then confirm it with the ministry or NAPTIP yourself.

Fake recruitment notices are all over the place right now

It’s not only overseas offers. On October 5, 2026, the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) warned Nigerians to ignore a fake recruitment notice sent in the name of the old FIRS. Earlier, on May 2, 2026, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said a message offering jobs in the Nigerian Diplomatic Service was fake, and that it asked people to pay for a “credence note.”

The ministry said Nigerian missions abroad are not recruiting. It said real recruitment into the Foreign Service is done only through the Federal Civil Service Commission, never by email or WhatsApp, and that no fee is required at any stage.

So anybody asking you to pay for a government job or posting is a scammer. That rule has not changed.

What to do if you or someone you know is already caught in this

Don’t wait. Report it to NAPTIP and contact the nearest Nigerian embassy or consulate in that country, since the ministry has told its missions to give timely advice to Nigerians. Keep copies of the contract, the chat messages, the agent’s phone number and any payment receipts. These help investigators trace the people behind it.

Tell your family too, so someone at home knows exactly where you are and who you are dealing with

• On February 15, 2026, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it is investigating the deceptive recruitment of Nigerians abroad, including cases where people were forced into foreign wars.
• Bait used: huge salaries, signing bonuses, fast citizenship, and travel on tourist visas.
• No public investigation result found yet.
• Check every offer with the real employer or school, the embassy, and a written contract.
• Never pay for a government job. Report suspicious recruiters to the proper authorities.