An 18-year-old Ghanaian international student in Latvia, Nana Agyei Oduru Ahyia, has been reported dead under circumstances his family describes as ‘mysterious and suspicious’.
According to family spokesperson Sarah Nimli, the deceased was a first-year Electrical Engineering (Adaptronic) student at Riga Technical University in Latvia, having gained admission to the institution in July 2024.
Citing reasons behind their suspicions of foul play in Oduru Ahyia’s death, the family indicated that three days before his passing on June 1, 2025, Nana Agyei, who had been residing in an apartment on Baznīcas Street in Riga, reportedly sent a distressing voice note claiming he had been poisoned.
He was later reported to have died on June 4, 2025, after authorities informed his family that he had fallen from the sixth floor of his apartment and succumbed to the injuries.
The family stated that efforts to contact the Latvian police proved unsuccessful, leading them to suspect a possible cover-up of the incident, especially as those allegedly involved are believed to be Latvian nationals.
“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. So 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,” Sarah Nimli, a family spokesperson is quoted to have said by citinewsroom.com
The family further revealed that after receiving no satisfactory response, a relative travelled to Latvia, accompanied by a representative from the Ghana Embassy in Berlin, which oversees Ghana’s affairs in Latvia, to seek clarity on the incident.
Meanwhile, Latvian police have since opened investigations into the case, but the family says they have received little to no official updates from either the Latvian authorities or Ghana’s Embassy in Berlin.
The bereaved family is now calling for justice and demanding clear answers to gain closure regarding their relative’s death, which they believe was not a suicide, contrary to the portrayal by authorities.
“We are expecting justice. Those who were involved in killing him must be prosecuted. He never mentioned any issues with anyone at school. We want answers and accountability,” they appealed.
MAG/MA
GhanaWeb Special: The gold market that fuels galamsey
How social engineering hacks your mind and your bank account