Samuel Okudzeto AblakwaForeign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has assured the family of Nana Agyei Ahyia, an 18-year-old Ghanaian student who died in Latvia, of government’s firm commitment to pursue justice in the case.
In a Facebook post on Monday, the Minister said he met the family earlier in the day at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration to convey condolences and brief them on steps taken following the June incident. Ablakwa, who is also Member of Parliament (MP) for North Tongu, disclosed that a fact-finding mission was promptly dispatched from Ghana’s embassy in Germany, which has concurrent accreditation to Latvia, to obtain firsthand information on the circumstances surrounding the student’s death.
According to him, the team has since submitted a preliminary report to the Ministry. The Foreign Affairs Minister said Latvian authorities have confirmed that investigations into the case are still ongoing and have not yet been concluded.
He further revealed that he has formally notified the Latvian government of his intention to travel to Latvia to engage his counterpart and interact directly with investigators handling the case. Ablakwa said his delegation will include representatives of Nana Agyei Ahyia’s family, a move he noted is aimed at ensuring transparency and direct family involvement in the process.
In addition, he stated that the Government of Ghana will engage independent experts to analyze all investigative reports, including the expected final report from Latvian authorities, to guide the country’s next steps. Ablakwa stressed that all actions being taken are geared toward ensuring justice for the deceased and his family.
Nana Agyei was a first-year Electrical Engineering student at Riga Technical University, having enrolled in July 2024. He was found dead on June 4, 2025, after reportedly falling from the sixth floor of his apartment building on Baznicas Street in Riga.
However, his family has strongly disputed the official account of his death. According to family spokesperson Sarah Nimli, Nana Agyei sent a disturbing voice note on June 1, three days before his death, claiming he had been poisoned.
“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,” Nimli said in previous media interviews.
The family believes foul play was involved and has expressed frustration with what they describe as lack of cooperation from Latvian authorities. Nimli said the family wrote letters to the Foreign Ministry, the university, and contacted police, but felt responses were inadequate.
“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,” she said.
Frustrated by the lack of transparency, the family dispatched a relative to Latvia to seek answers. The relative was later joined by a representative from the Ghanaian Embassy in Berlin, which has jurisdiction over Latvian affairs, to engage with local authorities.
The body of the deceased was repatriated to Ghana in July 2025 for burial, but the family has continued to demand a thorough, transparent, and independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.
Riga Technical University issued a statement last week clarifying that Ahyia Nana Agyei had been studying at the institution for approximately six months. The university said at the time of the tragic incident, he was not present on the campus or within any territory under university jurisdiction.
The university expressed condolences to the family and noted it provided necessary support, including assistance with visa arrangements for travel to Latvia and liaising with law enforcement authorities.
During earlier statements on the case, Ablakwa firmly rejected claims that the death was a suicide, stating that diplomats from Ghana’s Berlin mission who visited Latvia found evidence suggesting foul play.
“Nobody harms a Ghanaian in any part of the world and gets away with it,” Ablakwa stated in a previous Facebook post, emphasizing Ghana’s commitment to defending its citizens abroad.
The Minister has maintained that self-advocacy is essential on the global stage, insisting that respect for Ghanaian lives must be asserted, not assumed. He said failure by Ghanaian authorities to vigorously defend citizens overseas sends a dangerous message.
“If you cannot stand up for them, demand that their dignity be respected, then you have no business serving in this ministry as Minister for Foreign Affairs,” Ablakwa said earlier.
The case has drawn significant public attention in Ghana, with many calling for thorough investigation and accountability. The Minister’s planned visit to Latvia signals the government’s determination to ensure the matter is fully resolved.
While Latvian police have confirmed that investigations are ongoing, the family maintains they have received no formal updates or substantive cooperation from Latvian officials, deepening their concerns and grief.