Nigeria Diaspora Commission asks its citizens living in Ukraine to be security conscious as war looms

NIGERIA Diaspora Commission (Nidcom) officials have asked the country's citizens living in Ukraine to remain calm but security conscious amid growing fears that Russia could invade its smaller neighbour as tensions between the two nations escalate.

At the moment, Russia has about 100,000 troops positioned within reach of Ukraine's borders and according to the US, Moscow has 70% of the forces in place for a full-scale invasion. At the centre of the dispute is a plan by Ukraine to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato), a defence pact of 30 Western nations, which Russia says threatens its security.

Russia has long resisted Ukraine's move towards European institutions and Nato in particular, seeing the arrival of such a military alliance on its borders as a threat to national security. Ukraine shares borders with both the EU and Russia but as a former Soviet republic it has deep social and cultural ties with Russia and the Russian language is widely spoken in the country.

When Ukrainians deposed their pro-Russian president in early 2014, Russia annexed Ukraine's southern Crimean peninsula and backed separatists who captured large swathes of eastern Ukraine. These rebels have fought the Ukrainian military ever since in a conflict that has claimed more than 14,000 lives, so the fresh threat is being taken seriously.

Amid rising tension, Nidcom spokesman Gabriel Odu issued a statement saying the head of the agency Hon Abike Dabiri-Erewa is urging all Nigerians in the Ukraine to remain calm. She however, urged Nigerians there to remain security conscious in view of the strained relations between the two neigbours.

Mr Odu said:“Dabiri-Erewa has assured that the Nigerian embassy in Kiev, Ukraine is doing all it can to ensure the safety and security of all Nigerians in that country. The Nidcom boss also urged Nigerian citizens in Ukraine to visit the embassy’s website and duly follow the registration processes available there."

President Joe Biden of the US has announced an increase in US troops being sent to Europe to strengthen Nato's eastern flank in response to the build-up of Russian troops near the Ukrainian border. A total of 1,700 troops will be redeployed from the US to Poland, while a further 300 are to be sent to Germany.

In addition,  some 1,000 US troops currently stationed in Germany will be redeployed to Romania, which shares a border with Ukraine. Nigeria has already benefitted from this spat as it has led to an increase in global crude oil prices.