Russia-Ukraine War: Five Nigerians Declared Missing

In the heat of the Russia-Ukraine war, five Nigerians who fled Ukraine to Poland for safety have been declared missing. 

This was announced after the friends with whom they fled have were unable to contact them through their mobile phones. 

As reported by Pulse, a Nigerian student in Poland identified as Azeezat Aina said the missing persons are yet to be seen or contacted by any of the people currently taking shelter in Poland as at Tuesday, March 1, 2022.

Azeezat noted that people fled from Ukraine in groups which made it easy to know when someone was missing.

"They travel in groups, actually, so if one person is missing, I think they will be able to notice. They may travel in groups of five or six, so once they cross to the other side, somebody is going to ask, are they complete?

"In that process, they will find out this person is missing, this person has not crossed the border yet, and they cannot make calls, but WhatsApp is going through, you can chat." she clarified.

Azeezat said in a bid to find missing peaople, they show their pictures to people and ask if they have met or they recognise them, noting that the act has helped them find three previously missing people other than these five 

"...But these five people now, we've not heard anything from them and nobody has said anything about seeing them yet."

Akpesiri Stephanie Asama and Mukhtar are two of the five Nigerians who went missing on their way to Poland.

An Instagram page created to inform the public about missing Nigerian students fleeing Ukraine since the invasion has pictures of other missing Nigerians.

According to Al Jazeera, although hundreds of Nigerians have crossed to Poland, 16,000 Africans, mostly Nigerians and Moroccans are still stuck in Ukraine.

However, the Federal Government of Nigeria, through the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeame pledged to start evacuating Nigerians from the affected areas in Ukraine on Wednesday, March 2, 2022, stating that President Mohammadu Buhari has released funds to do so.