Everyone already knows what’s happening — Russia has invaded Ukraine over its proposed alignment with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and we’re all scared it’s going to blow up in our faces and cause World War III. More than 130 civilians and soldiers have been killed, and over 300 wounded.
As scared as the rest of the world is, we can’t imagine how frightening it must be for people who live, study or work in Ukraine, especially the affected parts. More specifically, we’re worried about the Nigerians there.
What’s happening to them? Are they among the casualties? How are they evacuating affected places? Who are the Nigerians helping other Nigerians?
Friends trapped in Ukraine
First, we spoke with Bela, a Nigerian in Nigeria. She lived in Ternopil, a city in Western Ukraine from 2015 to 2020 and still has friends there. Here’s what she had to say:
“It’s scary. All my friends are pretty shaken. We didn’t expect it to escalate this much. They’re all still pretty safe because the attacks have been in Eastern Ukraine, but who knows if it’ll get bigger? I’m hearing stories of other people trying to escape into Poland, but the border is pretty crowded now, both with cars and people trying to escape on their feet. There have even been talks of racism at the borders, but I hope it’s not true. It’s just a mess.”
Fled to London before Russian invasion
Then we spoke with a Nigerian who left Ukraine a few days ago because he suspected this would happen.
“I’ve been in university in Sumy for almost three years now. Because I read about history and politics a lot, I’ve been very alert in this period. On the 15th of February, there were cyberattacks on Ukraine from Russia. The department of defence, some national banks and some ministries were affected. I remember trying to transfer money to someone and it wasn’t working, then I tried to withdraw and I couldn’t. ATMs weren’t working. Immediately, I went online and booked my flight to London. I left the next day, and I’m staying with family. Russia invaded Georgia in 2008, and there were cyberattacks, so this felt too similar.
“I have friends who are stuck in Sumy right now. It’s in North-Eastern Ukraine, so the attacks have reached there. There was a bomb blast last night, and many of them have had to evacuate to underground bomb shelters under hostels. In Sumy, there’s a Ukrainian military base, so the soldiers resisted the Russian forces by fighting back. It’s crazy what’s happening there.
“Some of my other friends who aren’t in bomb shelters are in basements of other people’s apartments.
“Even when the war dies down, I’m not returning to Ukraine. I’ll continue elsewhere. The only thing I left behind is my WAEC result, but I’m sure I can live without it.”
Bags packed and waiting
One of the Nigerians stuck in Sumy is Shade*, a medical student. After reaching out to her and ensuring she was safe, she had some stuff to tell us.
“The place where the bomb blast happened is less than 30 minutes from my school. It’s absolutely terrifying. Many students are underground in bomb-proof bunkers, but it’s not our turn yet. Since the attacks started yesterday, I’ve been with people in an apartment, waiting out whatever is about to happen. I’ve packed a bag and all my documents are with me in case I need to move. If we sense danger, we’ll move to the basement of this apartment. I don’t want to risk going on the road right now to leave this city because it’s dangerous. What if something bad happens? It’s also really expensive. A reliable source told me it’s $300 to get to Poland by road. That’s much more expensive than it normally should be.
“Because ATMs haven’t been working for a while, many people don’t have cash and it’s been hard to buy food at the few places that still sell, so we’re rationing the little we have, doing one meal a day.”
And when we asked about what the Nigerian government is doing for her:
“In my fear, I’m able to find some anger at the Nigerian government’s reaction to this situation. The only thing that has happened is that we filled some form about a month ago, and we filled the same form yesterday. That’s all. We’ve heard on the news and online that the Nigerian government wants to come and evacuate the students on Monday, but it’s probably not going to happen. Do they want to come and pick us up one by one where we are? If they’re going to pick us up, at least they would have communicated with us to set a rendezvous point or something. We’ve heard nothing.
I have Ghanaian friends here. Their president has addressed them and they’re making solid plans to leave. I don’t feel well catered for by my country.
“As much as I feel in danger though, I’m worried about my family. They’re terrified. My dad has had to receive drips and injections to calm down. Even when I’m trying to sleep, they’re non-stop calling me. I understand that I’m in a precarious situation, but somehow some people have taken this as an opportunity to spread grossly over sensationalised misinformation. The media in Nigeria needs to tackle this ASAP. Families are already going through too much emotional strain for someone to come and be lying to them.”
Thousands of Nigerians stuck in Ukraine
Outside Ukraine, Nigerians are reaching out to help other Nigerians who are crossing into Poland to help them settle.
But we also saw this tweet about people not being let into the country.
For Nigerians in Poland, who need to contact the embassy, see below.
Right now, there are over 12,000 Nigerian students in Ukraine, along with Nigerians from other walks of life. As more information comes, we’ll update this post and do new posts on the situation with Nigerians in Ukraine.
