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Russian Invasion: Stranded Nigerians Call For Help, Lament Being Stuck In Ukraine City Where Locals Have Never Seen Black People

February 28, 2022

The students who have cried out for help said they are currently stranded and in isolation in these places.

Some Nigerian students are currently in hiding in some cities in Ukraine.
The students who have cried out for help said they are currently stranded and in isolation in these places.

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SaharaReporters learned from some of the affected students that soldiers have stopped them from moving to other locations while there are limited transport options available. 
Also, some of them claimed that locals were being racist towards them, which has made movement difficult for them. 
A Nigerian student identified as Olatunji said, “Please we are in Kyiv, I am with a man and we are stuck. We need help with accommodation, food and transportation to get to the border. 
“We're not being allowed by soldiers to move. Things are really getting out of hand here.”
Another Nigerian student in Sumy explained that she alongside other students are gripped by fear as they sighted military vehicles coming into the area. 
A disclaimer was further sent out to Nigerians to stay indoors so as not to become victims. 
In a voice note obtained by SaharaReporters, a female Nigerian citizen stranded in Ukraine noted that in Malyn, some locals were shocked when they saw them (blacks). 
The Nigerian said they were later informed the locals had never seen black people before. 
She said, ”We are currently stuck in Malyn, it's a city after Kyiv, it's an hour and some minutes after Kyiv. We are heading to Lviv, but we got stuck here. We've been here for three days, we are five in number. We're trying to get out of this place to any train station around but the train stations are far. 
“We need a car that can take us out, we can't walk out of this village because they said they have never seen black people before. The last time we tried to walk out of here, they called the police on us.”

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