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Ukraine: Trapped Nigerian on friendship and terror in Sumy
Nigerian veterinary student Samuel Otunla has been stuck in the north-east Ukrainian city of Sumy since the outbreak of the conflict. Ahead of reports that evacuations have begun, he sent the BBC an account of life in a city that is close to the Russian border and frontline.
The whole experience over the past 10 days has been nothing short of traumatic.
In cities further west, civilians have been able to leave and cross the border to safety in Poland, Romania, Hungary or Slovakia but we have been unable to leave Sumy.
The railway has been closed so there are no trains.
The main roads are largely inaccessible – some have been destroyed to stop Russian troops from advancing, while others have been totally blocked and taken over by the Russians.
Nevertheless, there are civilians who have made it out by road managing to negotiate their way through all the checkpoints. Others have tried and have either been shot at and forced to turn back or have reached dead ends where broken bridges have made it impossible to proceed.
Yes, it is possible to leave Sumy but it is extremely risky – and expensive.
Expensive because the Ukrainian drivers who are able to transport students are charging between $2,000 and $5,000 (£1,500 and £3,800) for a drive down south of 200km (124 miles).
After that anyone fleeing needs to catch a free train to a city in the west, like Lviv, and then cross the border.
So, in reality, we can’t get out.
Officials from Sumy National Agrarian University told us a couple days ago that there were discussions to set up a humanitarian corridor to allow civilians to leave Sumy and other areas safely.
On Monday, buses had been prepared so that students could be moved but unfortunately the Russians have not agreed to a ceasefire so the Ukrainian government cannot, for our own safety, transport us.
The Nigerian government has helped students get back home but, so far, only once they have managed to cross the western border, which is 1,300km away – so that doesn’t help us, at least not yet.
The Nigerian embassy in Russia (and other African countries I understand) has offered us the option of being taken to Russia and evacuated from there.
Many students have rejected this idea and rightly so. Russia is the enemy.
The best option is to get us to the west.
Meanwhile in Sumy, we are constantly getting safety warnings from the military. When 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 that doubles as a bomb shelter. It’s not a good experience.
We’ve received financial help from different organisations and through these we have been able to get groceries and other supplies.
We don’t know how much longer we will be here but we may need more supplies soon.
Source: BBC
Member of Parliament for Akuapem North, Sammy Awuku, has expressed deep sorrow following the sudden passing of Isaac Batsa, the constituency secretary for the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) lawmaker issued a statement on Tuesday reacting to the news, which has shocked the local political community.
Mr.Awuku praised the late NDC secretary for his bipartisan approach to local governance.
He noted that despite their different political affiliations, Batsa consistently rose above party lines to serve the constituency with diligence.
The MP revealed that the news was particularly shocking given that he had last interacted with Batsa just three days prior on Saturday.
Concluding his statement, Sammy Awuku extended his heartfelt condolences to Batsa’s family, the constituency and regional executives, and the entire NDC fraternity, wishing the deceased peaceful eternal rest.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
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Attorney General charges Chairman Wontumi and two others over alleged GH¢18.7 million Ghana Exim Bank fraud
The Office of the Attorney General has charged Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, and two others over the alleged fraudulent acquisition of funds from the Ghana Export-Import Bank for a farming project.
The charges were brought against Chairman Wontumi, Thomas Antwi-Boasiako, who is currently at large, and Wontumi Farms Limited.
According to court documents released by the Attorney General’s office, Chairman Wontumi, identified as the first accused person, allegedly approached the Ghana Exim Bank in January 2018 for financial support to undertake a large-scale farming project.
The prosecution said he applied for a GH¢19 million facility on behalf of Wontumi Farms Limited and claimed that the company had secured a 100,000-acre parcel of land for the proposed farming venture.
The Attorney General alleged that documents submitted together with the application contained false information.
According to the prosecution, one of the documents presented as a board resolution letter was dated January 23, 2018, but referred to a board resolution supposedly passed on December 9, 2017, four days before the company was officially incorporated on December 14, 2017.
The prosecution further stated that the accused persons also submitted a project proposal claiming that 2,500 hectares of the proposed farm would employ about 6,000 families, representing nearly 38,000 individuals.
Court documents indicate that the Ghana Exim Bank later approved an GH¢18.7 million facility made up of loans and grants for the project.
The facility was reportedly intended for the purchase of agricultural machinery, working capital, staff costs and consultancy services.
According to investigators, the bank disbursed more than GH¢14.3 million to the company between January and March 2018.
However, investigations by the Economic and Organised Crime Office of the Attorney General allegedly found that the proposed farming activities were never carried out.
The prosecution said the accused persons neither purchased the agricultural machinery nor secured the land they claimed to own for the project.
Investigators also alleged that Chairman Wontumi later submitted a document to the bank as proof that the company had purchased agricultural machinery worth GH¢4 million.
However, investigations reportedly established that the document was originally a pro-forma invoice from KAS-SAMA Enterprise and not an actual receipt.
According to the Attorney General’s office, the inscription “Pro-forma Invoice” was allegedly altered and replaced with the word “Receipt” before it was submitted to the bank.
The prosecution further alleged that Chairman Wontumi withdrew large sums from the company’s accounts and used the funds for personal expenses and investments in other businesses.
The Attorney General stated that attempts by the bank to recover the money were unsuccessful.
The Economic and Organised Crime Office reportedly began investigations into the matter in March 2025.
Chairman Wontumi was later arrested, cautioned and officially charged on May 14, 2026.
By: Jacob Aggrey
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