14 Ghanaian ‘hustlers’ stranded in Russia

Fourteen young men from Ghana embarked on a journey they believed would change their lives forever.

Lured by promises of secure, well-paying jobs in Russia, these men left their families behind with hopes of building a better future. But what was meant to be a life-changing opportunity turned out to be their worst nightmare.

It all began on Sunday, August 4, 2024, when the men said their goodbyes and boarded a plane, filled with dreams of success and providing for their loved ones. They arrived in Russia on August 6, through Togo. Their hearts were filled with anticipation. But from the moment they touched down, things took a chilling turn.

Upon arrival, they were whisked off to Kostroma, a city in western Russia, to sign what they thought would be employment contracts. Instead, they found themselves faced with a grim reality.

“That was the shock of our lives,” one of the men shared, his voice heavy with fear and regret. These were not contracts for secure jobs; they were contracts for war.

The young men say they were deceived by the contractor who had promised them these opportunities, a man known as Abraham Boakye, popularly known as “One Man Supporter.” Abraham, the man they had trusted, now seemed like their worst enemy.

“None of us had any idea we would end up here. We were told it was for security jobs, not this,” another victim recounted, voice shaking as he spoke.

As of September 17, when I spoke with three of the remaining survivors, they were trapped in Donetsk, Ukraine, awaiting orders to be sent to the frontline of the war. Their situation is beyond dire. Their passports have been seized, and the 14 who left Ghana together have now been reduced to just three. The others have disappeared, the only contact they have had is from David Adu, one of the men who managed to get in touch, urging the remaining three to escape at any cost.

“They took our passports, we can’t hear from the others. David is the only one who could warn us, and we don’t know where he is now,” one of the remaining three confided. They live in constant fear, stuck in a makeshift shelter, unsure who will be the next to be sent to fight.

As if the physical and emotional torment weren’t enough, they revealed that Abraham Boakye had already taken his cut from each of them, 130,000 rubles from each of the 14 men. They were each paid 400,000 rubles for a war they never agreed to fight.

These men are desperate to return home, alive if possible, but their future remains as uncertain as ever.

“We just want to come home. Please, if anyone can help us… we don’t know what tomorrow holds, but we are scared,” one of them whispered over the phone, his voice breaking with desperation.

Efforts to reach Abraham Boakye for his side of the story have, however, proved futile. Despite repeated attempts to get him to address the serious accusations leveled against him by the young men, he remains unreachable, leaving many unanswered questions.

Source:onuaonline.com