Foreign Affairs Ministry denies demanding payment from family of Ghanaian student who died in Latvia

Nii Ayitey Brown 14:16 - 02 February 2026

Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Ministry has denied demanding payments from the family of Nana Agyei Ahyia, the Ghanaian student who died under mysterious circumstances in Latvia, clarifying visa delays and reaffirming government support for the family’s travel and justice efforts.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has strongly denied allegations that it demanded money or mishandled travel arrangements for the family of Nana Agyei Ahyia, the young Ghanaian student whose death in Latvia last year continues to spark grief and public concern.

In a statement issued Monday, the Ministry moved to correct what it described as “false, misleading and unfounded” claims circulating in a viral social media video.

The video, reportedly recorded by a woman claiming to be the deceased’s sister, alleged that the family was asked to make payments to facilitate travel to Latvia and that a fake airline ticket was issued to Ahyia’s mother. But the Ministry says that narrative is simply not true.

“At no time has the Ministry, or any government official acting on its behalf, demanded or received any form of payment from the family. For the avoidance of doubt, the Government of Ghana is fully bearing the cost of all travel arrangements”, the statement said.

PRESS RELEASE pic.twitter.com/mcoWhgzN82
— Ghana MFA (@GhanaMFA) February 2, 2026

Ahyia, a Ghanaian student studying at Riga Technical University, died under what has been described as unusual circumstances while abroad, a tragedy that has left his family searching for answers and prompted government involvement at the diplomatic level.

In an effort to support the family and ensure transparency in the investigation, the Ministry said it had been in “constant and transparent engagement” with relatives, facilitating the travel of two nominated family members and a pathologist to Latvia.

Travel had initially been scheduled for January 31, but did not go ahead because visas had not yet been issued. According to the Ministry, the delay stemmed partly from incomplete documentation during the visa application process. The Ministry also addressed claims surrounding an airline ticket presented by Ahyia’s mother at the airport over the weekend.

“Travel was not possible in the absence of her passport,” the statement clarified, noting that the passport remained with the embassy pending visa approval.

Despite being informed of this, the Ministry said the mother went to the airport with bloggers for what she described as evidentiary purposes.

While acknowledging the family’s pain, the Ministry cautioned against the spread of misinformation, saying distorted claims risk undermining public confidence and distracting from the core mission, establishing the truth about the student’s death.

“The deliberate distortion of facts and the circulation of misinformation on a matter of this gravity are deeply regrettable,” it said.

The Ministry reiterated what it called its “unwavering commitment to the protection and welfare of Ghanaians abroad and to the pursuit of justice” for the late student.

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