Gov’t to fully investigate death of Ghanaian student in Latvia – Ablakwa

The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has assured the family of 18-year-old Ghanaian student Nana Agyei Ahyia that the government will pursue a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death in Latvia.

Mr. Ablakwa gave the assurance during a meeting with the bereaved family, where he disclosed that a fact-finding team from Ghana’s Embassy in Germany, which also has diplomatic responsibility for Latvia, has already conducted an initial mission and submitted a preliminary report to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

According to the Minister, Latvian authorities have confirmed that investigations into the incident are still ongoing. He added that the government intends to engage directly with Latvian officials, noting that he plans to travel to Latvia and will be accompanied by representatives of the victim’s family.

As part of efforts to ensure transparency, Mr. Ablakwa announced that the government will also rely on independent experts to review all investigative findings, including the final report expected from Latvian authorities, to determine the appropriate steps toward justice.

Nana Agyei Ahyia was a first-year Electrical Engineering (Adaptronic) student at Riga Technical University, having enrolled in July 2024. He died on June 4, 2025, in an incident Latvian authorities initially described as a fall from the sixth floor of his apartment building on Baznicas Street in Riga.

The family has disputed that account, citing a voice note sent by Nana Agyei just three days before his death in which he claimed he had been poisoned. A family spokesperson, Sarah Nimli, said the circumstances raised serious concerns.

“We received news that he fell from the sixth floor and died. But we said, no, that cannot be true. There’s no way he would commit suicide,” she said.

She further stated: “I wrote letters to the Foreign Ministry, to the school, and contacted the police. But we realized the police were not responding and appeared to be covering up because the people involved were Latvian nationals.”

In response to these concerns, the family sent a relative to Latvia to seek further clarification. The individual was later joined by an official from Ghana’s Embassy in Berlin, which has jurisdiction over Latvian affairs, to engage with local authorities.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it will continue to work with all relevant parties to ensure accountability and justice in the case.