Russia-Ukraine War: 300 Nigerian students still stuck in Ukraine

Over 300 Nigerian students are stuck in Sumy, a city in Northeastern Ukraine, bordering Russia.

Although Nigeria has commenced the evacuation of its citizens from war-torn Ukraine, over 300 Nigerians are still trapped in Sumy, a Ukrainian city that shares borders with Russia.

Many of the trapped Nigerians are students of tertiary institutions in Sumy and some of them spoke to PREMIUM TIMES about how they survived multiple bombings by Russia.

“March 3 was one of the most terrifying days,” Samuel Otunla, a Veterinary Medicine masters student at Sumy National Agrarian University, told PREMIUM TIMES. “Once we got the safety warning and arrived in the basement, we heard one of the loudest explosions and in a few minutes, the electricity went off – not just in our area but all over the city. Water was also off. Though it was restored 17 hours later, it was an uncomfortable experience.”

Mr Otunla, in a WhatsApp interview on Friday, narrated how a few days into the invasion, they had seen corpses of Russian soldiers lying on the streets as they stepped out to get groceries.

“There is a Military Lyceum 900 metres from the Agrarian University (where I stay) and on the first day of the whole war situation, it was attacked and when we went out for groceries a couple of days later, bodies of dead Russian soldiers were still lying all over the street.

“So far we have had explosions on seven days out of eight. Only one peaceful day. The closest to us was the attack on the Lyceum. Our daily routine has been: leaving the bomb shelter between 6-8 a.m. Spending the rest of the morning cleaning up, cooking and having breakfast. We usually have a general lunch provided by the school administration by 12 noon and the rest of the afternoon is pretty free. During that time, grocery shopping, a lot of ‘searching for a way out’ and we are just in the hostel till the safety warning goes off again. We spend the night in the basement for safety reasons,” Mr Otunla narrated.

He told this newspaper that in the past eight days, they had experienced trauma, sickness, stress and weariness. But in the midst of all that, “we also experienced friendship and love. We have shared meals, medications, blankets and mattresses with one another. We have played games together, prayed together and laughed together. But more than anything, we want to be evacuated together. We don’t like it here.”

“The school administration in my university has been so helpful and supportive, every student is willing to help the other person,” he added.

Over 300 Nigerian students are said to be stuck in Sumy, a city in North-Eastern Ukraine, where they have been largely cut off from the rest of the country owing to the shellings by Russia.

The bombings have left part of the city without electricity and water. Both foreigners and Ukraine nationals are caught in the crossfire; making underground bunkers their homes until they can safely move out.

There were high hopes that civilians could safely move out of the affected area when Russia and Ukraine agreed to create a safe corridor to evacuate civilians on Saturday but that hope has crumbled as Russia appeared to have reneged on the ceasefire agreement.

“The situation in Sumy is complicated. In every other city, civilians have been able to evacuate to the West and cross the border to safety in Poland, Romania, Hungary or Slovakia but we’ve been unable to leave Sumy,” Mr Otunla told PREMIUM TIMES.

“The railway has been closed, so no trains, the main roads are inaccessible because some have been destroyed to stop Russian troops from getting in and some others have been totally blocked and taken over by the Russians.”

Although power has been restored in Sumy, Mr Otunla said “there is a possibility to leave Sumy but it is extremely risky – and expensive.”

“Some civilians have been able to travel across by road to other cities; driving through all the possible checkpoints, some others have been shot at and had to turn back and some others have just reached a dead-end at broken bridges,” he said.

According to Mr Otunla, his school’s administration informed them a couple of days ago that they (as part of the Ukrainian government) were having discussions for a humanitarian corridor to allow civilians to leave Sumy (and other areas) safely. “They are in discussion with the Red Cross to see the possibilities of this. So far, talks are ongoing, no results.”

He said the only response from the Nigerian government (and other African governments as he heard) is to help students who have crossed the border to neighbouring countries to travel back home. But “we are 1300km from the border so that doesn’t help us, at least not yet,” he said.

“We are constantly getting safety warnings from the state military. Once the siren goes off, everyone has to run down to the bomb shelters for safety. Usually, from down in the shelter, we hear the shelling and gunfire.

“I, together with over 60 international students, Ukrainian students and hostel staff have spent the past seven nights in a dusty basement/ bomb shelter. It is not a good experience.”

Although they receive financial support from different organisations for groceries and supplies, he said the students are not sure how long they can hold out.

Also, he mentioned that the Nigerian Embassy in Russia contacted them about a possible evacuation into Russia. But a lot of students rejected the idea considering the sanctions on Russia which could mean “” we may get trapped in the country or just simply the fact that they are the enemy in this whole story, we could end up as hostages. It was not a good idea at all.”

Another Nigerian student, Joy Ikott, first-year Business Management student at Sumy State University, in a WhatsApp interview with PREMIUM TIMES on Saturday evening, said the war has affected her mentally and she is unable to think properly.

“Our parents are very worried, they are scared.

“We wake up every day with a loud sound which people say is an explosion, we go to our bunkers at night just to be safe,” Ms Ikott said.

She said some of her friends have managed to leave Sumy.

“Today we all tried to leave but the Ukrainian military came to our hostels with guns and instructed that no one should leave; some people even went but were turned back immediately.

“People are willing to pay any amount of money just to leave Sumy but the drivers are declining,” she said. She added that the bridge to Sumy “has been destroyed and we are not sure of the secret route drivers are taking.

“The news told us there has been a green corridor but the drivers are saying there is no green corridor, that is why they are not accepting our orders,” Ms Ikott said.

She said although the school is doing its best, they are running out of food and supplies.

Parents want their children out

In a memo signed by Elizabeth Murimwa for parents of African students stuck in Sumy, they called on the United Nations and relevant governments to ensure that their children are safely evacuated from Sumy.

“Our main appeal as parents is to get the children evacuated through either Russia which is the closest or a humanitarian corridor opened to allow them to travel within Ukraine,” the memo said.

They also requested help for food, transportation and accommodation.

“Currently, they are at risk of becoming collateral damage in a war they know nothing about. Negative racist sentiments have already been displayed and the children are scared and in bunkers three-quarters of the day surrounded by gunfire. The Indian government is already negotiating for its citizens hence we would like to request help from our different governments. No child should be left behind!!!”

The memo said there are about 900 African students in Sumy, but PREMIUM TIMES suspects the number could be higher owing to the different figures it got from students it interviewed.

Ahmed Sarafa, a parent whose daughter is stuck in Sumy, told PREMIUM TIMES in a phone interview that he felt very bad because the Nigerian government was not doing enough. He said they were getting conflicting information as to how their children can get to safety.

Mr Sarafa said he spoke to the rector’s wife at Sumy State University (where his daughter studies) who told him that the Nigerian embassy in Kyiv had earlier asked them to allow Nigerian students to find their way to Russia.

“I had the opportunity to speak to the rector’s wife at that school. She told me that the Nigerian embassy sent them a memo to release Nigerian students to go to the Russian border. The Russian border is very close to Sumy, about 65 kilometres. They asked who would give the students security or cover while they moved, up till now, the Nigerian embassy has yet to respond. Moreover, the Indian government has negotiated with Russia to allow their students passage through Russia.”

Nigerian government say talks ongoing

Nigeria has so far evacuated over 700 of its citizens from Ukraine. They were airlifted from neighbouring counties like Hungary and Poland where they fled to.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how the returnees arrived in three different flights on Friday.

Gabriel Aduda, permanent secretary of the ministry of foreign affairs, while welcoming the first batch of Nigerian evacuees in Abuja, said, “talks are already on for your colleagues in Sumy; a lot is already being done to create a safe corridor to bring them all out…”

In the same vein, Akinremi Bolaji, director consular and legal services at the foreign affairs ministry, while welcoming the second batch of evacuees, told journalists that “…we also still have 350 in Sumy college which has been cut off… as soon as we are through with the safe corridor, we will go for those ones.”

The Nigerians stuck in Sumy can only hope that the safe corridor becomes a reality very soon.

Premium Times