ActionAid Nigeria has called for an urgent investigation into allegations that young African women, including Nigerians, were lured into Russia’s Alabuga Start Programme with promises of education, vocational training and lucrative employment, only to face exploitation, unsafe working conditions and possible involvement in military drone production.
The organisation also expressed grave concern over allegations linking Konstantin Trifonov, a senior recruiter associated with the programme, to Telegram channels allegedly promoting child sexual abuse material, describing the claims as deeply disturbing and demanding a thorough, independent investigation.
In a statement issued on Thursday, ActionAid Nigeria warned that, if substantiated, the allegations would amount to serious violations of human rights, labour rights and child protection laws, requiring swift action by both Nigerian and international authorities.
The Country Director of ActionAid Nigeria, Dr. Andrew Mamedu, said the reported recruitment scheme underscores the growing vulnerability of young Nigerians seeking opportunities abroad amid worsening economic hardship.
According to him, poverty, unemployment and limited economic opportunities have created conditions that allow deceptive recruiters to prey on the aspirations of vulnerable young people.
“The responsibility must never be placed on victims. Those who deceive, traffic or exploit vulnerable people must be investigated and held accountable,” Mamedu said.
While stressing that the allegations against Trifonov must be independently verified, ActionAid maintained that any proven involvement in producing, possessing, distributing or promoting child sexual abuse material would constitute a grave violation of children’s rights and should attract the full weight of the law.
The organisation said its position is informed by years of engagement with survivors of trafficking and unsafe migration through its RECONNECT Project (Reintegration and Empowerment for Connecting and Nurturing Opportunities of Vulnerable Populations and Returning Migrants).
According to ActionAid, the initiative has supported returning migrants, survivors of trafficking, internally displaced persons, vulnerable women and survivors of domestic violence—many of whom returned to Nigeria burdened by severe psychological trauma, debt, social stigma and limited access to healthcare, psychosocial support and sustainable livelihoods.
The organisation noted that the allegations emerge against the backdrop of increasing migration pressures in Nigeria, commonly referred to as the “Japa” phenomenon, as thousands of young Nigerians continue to seek better economic opportunities overseas.
While affirming that migration is a legitimate right that should not be criminalised, ActionAid warned that economic hardship, insecurity and weak regulation of overseas recruitment have created fertile ground for traffickers and fraudulent recruiters to exploit vulnerable citizens.
Citing data from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the organisation said 14,787 Nigerians safely returned home through the agency’s programmes in 2025, while another 7,825 had been assisted by June 2026. Since 2017, more than 65,700 Nigerians have returned through IOM-supported programmes, with over 52,200 receiving reintegration assistance.
ActionAid also referenced World Bank estimates showing that 63 per cent of Nigerians were living below the national poverty line in 2025 after an additional seven million people fell into poverty during the year.
It argued that expanding decent employment opportunities, strengthening social protection programmes and improving livelihoods—particularly for women, youths, persons with disabilities and displaced persons—would significantly reduce vulnerability to trafficking, forced labour and deceptive migration schemes.
The organisation urged the Federal Government, particularly the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), to immediately investigate recruitment activities linked to the Alabuga Start Programme in Nigeria.
It further called on the authorities to identify Nigerians currently participating in the programme, assess their welfare and provide consular protection, legal assistance, psychosocial support and voluntary repatriation where necessary.
ActionAid also recommended tighter regulation of foreign recruitment agencies, employment schemes, travel facilitators and online advertisements targeting young Nigerians, alongside intensified public awareness campaigns on the risks associated with unverified overseas opportunities.
Beyond Nigeria, the organisation appealed to the ECOWAS Commission, the African Union, the European Union, INTERPOL, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Russian authorities and other relevant governments to collaborate on an independent international investigation into the reported recruitment practices and the alleged child sexual abuse links.
According to ActionAid, such collaboration should include preserving and sharing digital and recruitment evidence, identifying and protecting potential victims and prosecuting any individuals or organisations where credible evidence establishes wrongdoing.
The organisation reaffirmed its commitment to supporting survivors of trafficking and exploitation, urging authorities to adopt a survivor-centred approach that safeguards victims’ identities, eliminates stigma and guarantees access to justice, rehabilitation and sustainable reintegration.
ActionAid maintained that addressing the root causes of unsafe migration—including poverty, unemployment and inequality—remains critical to preventing similar cases and protecting vulnerable Nigerians from exploitation.
