A 23-year-old Nigerian medical graduate, Nnani Adaobi Marian, has reportedly been killed in Ukraine in a Russian airstrike, just days before her scheduled graduation ceremony, according to posts circulating on social media.
As of publication, there is no official confirmation of the incident from the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, NIDCOM, the Nigerian Embassy in Ukraine, or Ukrainian authorities. The name “Nnani Adaobi Marian” does not appear in verified reports or official casualty lists reviewed to date. Without independent verification, the details remain unconfirmed.
Accounts shared online claim Marian was a final-year medical student in Ukraine and was due to graduate within days when the strike occurred. The posts describe her as one of several Nigerian students caught in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
Nigeria has previously documented cases of Nigerian nationals killed in Ukraine. In recent months, Ukrainian Defence Intelligence identified two Nigerian men, Hamzat Kazeen Kolawole and Mbah Stephen Udoka, who were killed while fighting for Russia in Luhansk after signing contracts with the Russian military. Another Nigerian, Ayebusiwa Olabode Victor, was also reported killed while fighting alongside Russian forces in Kharkiv.
NIDCOM has also petitioned Ukrainian authorities over the stabbing death of Nigerian medical doctor Bolade Ibukun Ejemai in Kharkiv. Separately, Nigerian student Uzaifa Halilu Modachi, a final-year medical student at Zaporizhzhia State Medical University, died two weeks after being evacuated from Ukraine due to illness, not combat.
Nigerian authorities have repeatedly warned citizens against traveling to Russia or Ukraine for work or study without proper protections, citing risks of recruitment into combat roles and limited consular access in conflict zones. NIDCOM Chairman Abike Dabiri-Erewa has urged thorough investigations into cases involving Nigerians killed abroad and has engaged with families and embassies where incidents are confirmed.
The Russian Ambassador to Nigeria has denied knowledge of any government-backed recruitment of Nigerians for the war.
Before the war escalated in 2022, thousands of Nigerians were studying medicine and other courses in Ukraine. Many were evacuated by the Federal Government in 2022. Reports indicate some who remained or returned later faced hardship, including health complications after evacuation.
If confirmed, Marian’s death would add to concerns about the safety of Nigerian students and professionals still in Ukraine as airstrikes and missile attacks continue to hit civilian areas…Discover More
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