Amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, 23 Nigerian students stranded in a southern Ukrainian city at the Kherson State Maritime Academy called for help from the Federal Government to rescue them. The Nigerian students are trapped in the region occupied by the Russian troops. They requested their home nations to act at a swift pace and said to the media how traumatized they have been after their underground sheltering for two weeks.
A lot of students have fallen sick owing to the poor sanitary conditions underground and the unavailability of food and other basic essential items. The students said that the Nigerian government has not reached out to its nationals with the help of food, water, or other essentials. According to a student, they have been stuck in the region, despite several talks with the ambassadors, representatives, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to initiate an evacuation. Some of the students are complaining of not feeling alright due to the weather and others are complaining of no food availability and being in critical condition.
So far, approximately 1400 Nigerians have been rescued and moved from Ukraine, since Russia invaded the country. The students are also demanding their home countries to request Russian authorities to declare a ceasefire so that the stranded students can safely be evacuated from the disputed city.