Trapped: The African Prisoners of a Faraway War (Nigeria compliant)
BBC Africa Eye investigates how African men ended up fighting for Russia, meeting prisoners of war in Ukraine and families in Kenya searching for answers.
Far from home, African men caught in the Russia-Ukraine war face an uncertain future. Some say promises of civilian jobs led them to the battlefield. Others knowingly signed military contracts. Now, held as prisoners of war in Ukraine, they must confront a difficult question: how will they ever get home?
BBC reporter Sammy Awami travels to Ukraine to meet African prisoners who fought for Russia. Their accounts reveal different routes into the conflict, conflicting loyalties and hopes of returning to families thousands of miles away. Some believe a prisoner exchange with Russia offers their best chance of escape. But with no clear route to release, they remain caught between governments and a war with no end in sight.
In Kenya, the consequences reach far beyond the frontline. A mother recounts her son’s desperate calls before his death, while a returning fighter describes how a promised driving job became military service. Families demand answers about recruitment and the fate of their loved ones.
Through testimony from prisoners, relatives and a survivor, alongside interviews with Ukrainian and Kenyan officials, Trapped examines how African men became drawn into a distant conflict—and who will take responsibility for bringing them home.
