'I be Kenyan, no shoot me' - di athlete wey say dem deceive am to join Russian army

Di young Kenya athlete don turn to captive for Ukraine. Tears full im eyes as e dey beg make dem no send am back to Russia.

"I go die dia, na so Evans Kibet tok as e dey wave im hands into di air towards pesin wey dey interview am for video wey di Ukraine Army Brigade release on Wednesday.

Di 36 years old prisoner of war wear red sports top. Dia brigade flag dey pinned on am.

Di aspiring long distance runner wey say dem trick am to join di Russia army, say im dey desperate to go home to go see im 16 years old daughter.

For Facebook post wia dem attach di video, di 57th Separate Motorised Infantry Brigade say dis na example of how Russia dey treat dia foreign recruits. Dem add say "e fight on di side of di enemy, so weda to believe in im words and tears na decision wey dey to your discretion",

Di brigade say dem get Kibet consent to film di interview, but BBC never verify am.

To see foreigners for Russia army no be new tin, but e dey rare to see wia any of di captive foreigners speak for video.

Some of di pipo dem hold for di Ukraine prisoner of war camps include pipo from Somalia, Togo, Sierra Leone, Cuba and Sri Lanka. na so tok tok pesin of Ukraine Petro Yatsenko tell BBC.

"Most of dem come from poorer kontris and dem end up for di Russia side in different ways. Dem dey deceive some, promise dem jobs for factory while odas dey join di war voluntarily. E dey important to understand say most times, dem dey capture some alive but odas dey die or dey injured", na so e tok.

Back in Kenya, Kibet family and friends dey in shock unto wetin dem see for di video.

Edith Chesoi wey be im cousin sigh as e tell BBC say im don dey replay di video plenti times for im head.

"I dey so traumatized. I no sleep for night, I no even know wetin to say."

Kibet younger brother Isaac Kipyego describe am as "humble guy and man wit few words" as well as pillar and advisor to di rest of di family. Dem know am as pesin wey dey dedicated to im sports.

"I love running, I love running," na so Kibet tok for di Ukraine video. May be na im lead am to become Russian recruit.

Kibet build im life around athletics, one sports wey don lift plenti Kenya pipo from villages to global recognition. E grow up for family wey dey into farming from Mount Elgin area of Western Kenya.

Kibet train for Iten, wey be area wey get high altitude and dey famous unto say e produce Olympians and world champions, but e neva reach dat status for competitive field. Instead e don compete for 10km and marathon road races for Europe and Asia according to im family and friends.

"Kibet don dey run since im be pikin," na so im younger broda tok. "E always dey talented, running na im life."

Though sports na im identity, but e neva give am di kain financial breakthrough im dey long for.

Friends say Kibet bin dey struggle financially.

For March, e ask im training partner Elias Kiptum to help am make e run for Poland, but di team wey bin dey go don already full.

"I guess na im make am end up for Russia," na so Kiptum tell BBC. Wen later in di year one sports agent offer am trip to Russia to run for race, Kibet seize di opportunity. BBC call di agent to confirm dis but e neva pick im call.

"I dey very excited wen e tell me say e dey go Russia go run," na wetin im broda tok. "Even me dey happy for am, we get high expectations."

Im cousin Ms Chesoi wey follow am go enta bus for end of July say e carri "small size suitcase".

E tell im family say e go only dey away for two weeks.

For di Ukraine video, Kibet say e go Russia as visitor, no be for "military job".

Den after two weeks, im host ask am weda e go like to stay longer.

"I say: 'Yes, but di problem be say my visa don expire'. E say: 'No I fit do sometin for you."

Den e promise am to get am job.

"For evening, e come wit some papers wey dem write for Russia language. E tell me: 'Dis na di job I want make you do.'

"I no know say na military job."

Kibet say e sign di paper and di man collect im phone and im passport.

"Na so evritin go wrong…. Dat signing na im ruin my life."

'Either you fight or we go kill you'

According to Kibet, some oda pipo show up and tell am to enter car. Dem drive for like seven hours.

"I see myself for military camp."

Kibet say dem tell am say e don sign to become army man and im no get choice.

"Dem tell me say either I go fight or we go kill you."

After dat, e say dem enta one week of training, say na dia dem teach am how to handle automatic rifle. E say im commanders no dey speak English, na signs and gestures dem dey use show dem tins.

Kibet say e no follow go combat, say na for road to dia first mission e dump im rifle and escape, dey wander for bush for two days for forest wey near Vovchansk for north eastern region of Ukraine dem dey call Kharkiv. E approach some Ukraine solders.

"I go dia wit my hands up."

"I tell dem say I be Kenya guy, abeg make una no shoot me."

"All of dem point dia guns on me, but I tell dem to calm down. Di commander come, dem tie me, I tell dem say I no carry arms, say I dey dia to save my life.

Upon say Kibet family dey in shock sake of di video, dem happy small say im dey di hands of di Ukraine solders.

"We feel say im dey for good hands for now, instead for Russia hands," na so im brother Kipyego tok.

Im family dey ask govment of Kenya to look into di mata. Di ministry of foreign affairs neva respond to our request for comment.

Ukraine tok tok pesin say if di govment of im kontri of origin show say dem dey interested to return am home, Ukraine dey open to negotiations about how to transfer am go home.

About oda prisoners of war, e say most of dia kontri govment no dey show interest on how to return dia citizens home and no ready to take dem back.

For Kibet loved ones, dia priority na im safety.

"If im make mistake, make dem forgive am. We only want am back,"na so im broda tok.