Some Nigerian students based in Sumy State University, Ukraine, have called for their urgent evacuation by the Federal Government.
Report had it that many people, including Nigerians, had fled Ukraine to neighbouring countries since Russian troops invaded the country on February 24.
Several students of SumDU are still reportedly trapped in the school as they are unable to leave the city.
In a video posted on microblogging site, the students were heard chanting, “let us go home. We want to go home.”
“Early this morning, we were woken up with six bombs. What did we do wrong? We just came to study medicine. We haven’t showered in three days. There is no light in the hostel. There is nothing; everything is running out. This place is not safe.
“Every single day, some of us have mental trauma. We can’t even hear doors closing without someone running. We have nothing to do with this war, this is not our country.
“We have nothing to do with this war,” a female student, who spoke anonymously, was quoted as saying.
Another student alleged that the route out of the city had been barricaded, thereby preventing them from leaving.
“For the past two weeks that this war has started, apparently, there has been a route to leave Sumy but the school has refused to provide us with transportation to leave this place.
“We know almost 50 students that had left Sumy for Poltava. Now, they have decided to block that route. At this point, I don’t know what is going on. We are not going to be used as bait. Please let us go, let us go, we don’t want to be part of your war,” the student pleaded.
A male student, who alleged that the Russian troops were advancing towards Sumy, said that in the absence of a public bus, he and his friend decided to use their private car to get out of the city but ran into Russian soldiers who shot at them.
A female student described
her experience as a very bad ordeal, saying, “The last explosion was close to my house. It’s been very traumatising. I am alone in the room.
“All we are asking is can we cease-fire and let the students of Sumy leave? We are calling on everybody to help get us out. We are many here, we are stranded. We appeal to you, please help us,” she said.
The Federal Government approved $8.5 million for the evacuation of Nigerians from Ukraine with the process commencing last week Wednesday.
Three batches of Nigerians had since arrived in the country.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, said that he spoke with Dmytro Kuleba, his Ukrainian counterpart, on the evacuation plan.