ActionAid Nigeria has called for an urgent investigation into reports that young African women, including Nigerians, were allegedly deceived into joining Russia’s Alabuga Start Programme with promises of education, vocational training and lucrative jobs, 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 the allegations are confirmed, they would represent serious violations of human rights, labour rights and child protection laws, requiring swift accountability at both national and international levels.
The Country Director of ActionAid Nigeria, Dr. Andrew Mamedu, said the reported recruitment scheme reflects the growing dangers faced by young Nigerians seeking opportunities abroad amid worsening economic hardship.
“Poverty, unemployment and limited economic opportunities create conditions in which deceptive recruiters can prey upon the hopes of young Nigerians seeking a better future. The responsibility must never be placed on victims. Those who deceive, traffic or exploit vulnerable people must be investigated and held accountable,” Mamedu said.
ActionAid stressed that the allegations against Trifonov must be independently verified but insisted that any involvement in producing, possessing, distributing or promoting child sexual abuse material would constitute a grave violation of children’s rights deserving 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 project has worked with returning migrants, survivors of trafficking, internally displaced persons, vulnerable women and survivors of domestic violence, many of whom returned to Nigeria carrying severe psychological trauma, debt burdens, social stigma and limited access to healthcare, psychosocial support and sustainable livelihoods.
The organisation noted that the latest allegations emerge against the backdrop of increasing migration pressures in Nigeria, popularly known as the “Japa” phenomenon, where thousands of young Nigerians continue to seek better economic opportunities overseas.
While affirming that migration is a legitimate right and should not be criminalised, ActionAid warned that economic desperation, insecurity and weak regulation of overseas recruitment have created fertile ground for traffickers and fraudulent recruiters to exploit vulnerable citizens.
The organisation cited figures from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) showing that 14,787 Nigerians returned home safely through its programmes in 2025, while another 7,825 had been assisted by June 2026. Since 2017, the IOM has facilitated the safe return of more than 65,700 Nigerians, with over 52,200 receiving reintegration support.
ActionAid also referenced World Bank estimates indicating that 63 per cent of Nigerians were living below the national poverty line in 2025, following an additional seven million people falling into poverty during the year.
It argued that expanding decent employment opportunities, strengthening social protection programmes and improving livelihoods—particularly for women, young people, 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, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, 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 also called on the government 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 further recommended tighter regulation of foreign recruitment agencies, employment schemes, travel facilitators and online advertisements targeting young Nigerians, alongside intensified public awareness campaigns on the dangers of unverified overseas opportunities.
Beyond Nigeria, the organisation appealed to the ECOWAS Commission, African Union, European Union, INTERPOL, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), as well as 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 the organisation, such cooperation should include preserving and sharing digital and recruitment evidence, identifying and protecting potential victims and pursuing legal action against any individuals or organisations where credible evidence establishes wrongdoing.
ActionAid reaffirmed its commitment to supporting survivors of trafficking and exploitation, urging authorities to adopt a survivor-centred approach that protects victims’ identities, eliminates stigma and guarantees access to justice, rehabilitation and sustainable reintegration.
The organisation maintained that tackling the root causes of unsafe migration—including poverty, unemployment and inequality—remains essential to preventing similar cases in the future.