A former Bayport Savings and Loans employee, Isaac Aboagye Mensah, who once worked at Adum-Kumasi in Ghana, has reportedly died of shock in Ukraine after enlisting in the Russian army. Isaac, who left his banking career, allegedly succumbed to the horrors of war on the battlefield.
According to social media user @eddie_wrt on X (formerly Twitter), Isaac initially traveled to Qatar during the 2022 World Cup before returning to Ghana. Later, he moved to Russia and informed his family of his decision to join the Russian military alongside other Ghanaians.
Isaac remained in contact with his family through WhatsApp until communication abruptly ceased. A Ghanaian colleague in Isaac’s unit eventually informed the family that Isaac had died from shock after witnessing the brutal realities of war and had been buried.
However, for the past seven months, Isaac’s family has not heard from him and remains skeptical about his supposed death, as they have not seen his remains. They are seeking help from authorities to confirm the information.
Screenshots attached to @eddie_wrt’s account on X include posts from Isaac’s purported Facebook page and a WhatsApp voice note in which a voice, allegedly Isaac’s, mentions an injury while preparing for training.
There has been no official confirmation or denial of these claims from Isaac’s family.
Isaac had written in one of his posts dated December 11, 2023 “The once corporate worker (Banker) has now transmogrified into a chionophile. Eeeeiiii abrab) paaa nie?? Aaah well, that’s what Nana Akufo Addo’s government would do to some of us. Nonetheless, that doesn’t connote a plus one (+1) vote for the NDC wae. Sorry to disappoint you.”
Words that suggest that economic hardship in Ghana may have driven him to take this drastic step, underscoring the severe challenges faced by many Africans who risk their lives in foreign wars.