Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has confirmed plans to lead a Ghanaian delegation to Riga, Latvia, on January 20, 2026, as part of ongoing investigations into the death of Ghanaian student Nana Agyei Ahyia.
In a statement issued on Saturday, December 27, Ablakwa said the Latvian Foreign Ministry has officially responded to his request and confirmed that Latvian authorities will be ready to receive the Ghanaian delegation on January 20, 2026.
“On the matter of ongoing investigations and justice for Nana Agyei, I can confirm that the Latvian Foreign Ministry has officially responded to my request and indicated that Latvian authorities shall be ready to receive my delegation in Riga, Latvia on the 20th of January, 2026,” the minister stated.
The delegation will include representatives of Nana Agyei Ahyia’s family to ensure transparency and direct family involvement in the process. The government will also engage independent experts to analyze all investigative reports, particularly the expected final report from Latvian authorities, to guide the country’s next steps.
Earlier this month, Ablakwa met with the bereaved family at the Foreign Ministry to convey his condolences in person and briefed them on steps taken so far. A fact-finding mission was promptly dispatched from Ghana’s embassy in Germany, which holds concurrent accreditation to Latvia, to gather firsthand information on the circumstances surrounding Nana Agyei Ahyia’s death. The team has since submitted a preliminary report to the ministry.
The 18 year old Electrical Engineering student at Riga Technical University was found dead on June 4, 2025. Latvian authorities initially reported that Nana Agyei fell from the sixth floor of his apartment building, but his family disputes this account, citing a voice note he sent days before his death in which he claimed to have been poisoned.
Family spokesperson Sarah Nimli said they received news that he fell from the sixth floor and died, but insisted there’s no way he would commit suicide. “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 stated.
Ablakwa disclosed that Latvian authorities have confirmed investigations into the case are still ongoing and have not been concluded. The minister emphasized the government’s commitment to protecting the rights and dignity of Ghanaians both at home and abroad.
“As I have reiterated, the Mahama administration values every Ghanaian life either at home or abroad; we are prepared to do whatever it takes to safeguard the dignity of all Ghanaians,” he said. The minister added that he would continue to provide regular updates to the public in the interest of transparency, accountability and justice.
The upcoming trip underscores Ghana’s resolve to ensure justice is pursued through diplomatic and legal channels in collaboration with international partners. Frustrated by initial lack of transparency, the family had dispatched a relative to Latvia to seek answers, who was later joined by a representative from the Ghanaian Embassy in Berlin.
