'Dem don tiff my broda oda half' - Family of Zambian student wey die for Ukraine warfront tok about im death

Di death of 23-year-old Zambian student wey Russia recruit to fight for dem for Ukraine don make di family devastated.

Dis na wetin im senior broda and sister tell BBC.

No be only say im die but di questions wey dem neva ansa wey surround di brutal way di young man die for anoda man land.

Na drugs-related prison sentence Lemekhani Nyirenda bin dey serve for Russia. But dem free am come send am to di frontlines for Ukraine.

Di family dey ask questions how dem put am for army without di family notice.

"We wan to know how dem put am for army without telling im family? Dem force am? Muzang'alu Nyirenda ask.

Di family feel like say dem "rob" dem sake of her broda death, she add.

Foreign Affairs Minister for Zambia Stanley Kakubo announce on Monday say Mr Nyirenda, wey bin dey go school for Moscow Engineering Physics Institute, bin dey serve nine-years prison sentence for drug offence.

Im say dem kill Mr Nyirenda for di front lines for September.

But Russian authorities bin just only inform Zambia of im death.

Mr Kakubo tok say Zambia bin don ask dem for ansas over di death of di student and why dem bin send am to Ukraine.

Dis news shock most Zambians well-well, dem also dey frustrated say di goment no share more information to explain di circumstances wey make dem send am go Ukraine.

According to Ms Nyirenda, her broda travel go Russia in 2019 to study nuclear engineering ontop goment sponsorship, one joinbodi between di two kontris wey start many years ago.

"E get plenti tins wey we no know. Why Zambia goment no know say dem dey send am go fight war?”

Im senior sister tell BBC.

"Di pipo wey cari am go war look down on us as a family, im mean notin to dem, dem use am. She tok.

Di drugs arrest

Mr Nyirenda bin dey work as a part-time courier wen dem arrest am for 2020 wit one parcel wey drugs dey inside, im sister tok.

"We believe say im no know wetin dey inside di package im bin dey go deliver, im tell us say im no know. Im go get text messages for pick-ups and instructions on wia im go deliver dem," she tok.

"On one of di days police search am and dem see drugs for di package. Im explain say im dey work for one online courier and im no know about di parcels but dem arrest am," Ms Nyirenda tok.

Di family bin still get hope say im go come back home safely.

But as im dey serve im term for one medium security prison dem recruit am, im family believe say na di Wagner Group recruit am, one Russian mercenary group wey dey enlist prisoners to fight for Russia in Ukraine in exchange for dia freedom.

For September, leaked footage show Yevgeny Prigozhin, oga of di Wagner group, wia im dey list di rules of fighting, like no deserting or sexual contact wit Ukrainian women, and den e give di prisoners five minutes to decide if dem want to join.

E bin tell di prisoners e go comot dem from prison alive but e no fit promise if im go bring dem back alive.

Na university professionals Edwin and Florence Nyirenda born am. Lemekhani na di last born out of four children.

Even wen im dey prison im still find way to tok wit im loved-ones for Zambia.

Di last time im parents hear from am na 31 August ontop one kain phone call wey make dem to worry well well.

"Im tell my parents: 'I no dey prison again but wia I dey I no fit tell anybody'. My parents begin worry, all of us dey dia wen im tok dis tin.

We know say im be prisoner for foreign kontri wia im no get rights, we bin dey worried about wetin dey happun, but im no fit tell us more and my parents no ask am questions again" Ms Nyirenda tok.

Di family notify di Zambian authorities of di odd call and dem assure dem say dem go investigate to find out wia im dey, but months later di news of di death of di young man come.

"im dey young, dem collect im life from am. Im get twin brother, dem don tiff my broda oda half "im sister tok as she dey cry.

"Lemekhani bin get many plans. Im bin dey study so dat im fit come back come pet my mother. Im get plans to help rebuild Zambia. Dem don steal from us," she tok.

"Closure no dey, only questions. We want make dem bring am back so we fit bury am in peace.

We want am back wit di pipo wey love am, but we deserve ansas," Ms Nyirenda tok.

Im dead bodi according to Zambian officials, dey for Russia southern border town of Rostov as dem dey prepare to bring am back to Lusaka wia im family go bury him.

Zambia ministry of foreign affairs neva answer some of di questions wey BBC ask dem.

Zambia stand for neutral position on di Russia-Ukraine war, like many oda African kontris, but dem say dem condemn any form of war.