Nigeria to recruit extra police officers after abductions

0:00This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the UK. If journalism is the first draft of history, what happens if that draft is flawed? In 1999, four Russian apartment buildings were bombed, hundreds killed. But even now, we still don't know for sure who did it. It's a mystery that sparked chilling theories. I'm Helena Merriman, and in a new BBC series, I'm talking to the reporters who first covered this story. What did they miss the first time? The History Bureau. Putin and the apartment bombs. Listen on bbc.com or wherever you get your podcasts. This is the Global News Podcast from the BBC World Service.

0:47I'm Alex Ritson and at 18 Hours GMT on Monday the 24th of November, these are our main stories. Nigeria's president announces plans to hire 30 ,000 new police officers after the latest abduction of hundreds of schoolchildren. America's top diplomat leaves the Geneva peace talks on the Ukraine war expressing hope, but President Zelensky is more measured. A life sentence for the leader of a Korean online sex crime group for blackmailing hundreds of victims, many underage girls. Also in this podcast. I think what really impressed me is just how innovative the Incas were in terms of the building and being able to cut stone before they had tools that really cut stone.

1:36We hear whether Machu Picchu, Peru's most lucrative attraction, is in financial trouble.

1:45Nigeria's president has ordered the recruitment of a further 30 ,000 police officers after a series of mass abductions in recent days. President Bola Tinubu's office also says officers currently assigned to protect VIPs will be redeployed to frontline duties. The Roman Catholic Church in Nigeria says 265 people are still missing after a mass kidnapping from a school in Niger state on Friday. Authorities in several Nigerian states ordered schools to shut following the mass abduction in Niger and another smaller hostage taking in Kebi State on Monday when 25 pupils were kidnapped from a boarding school.

2:26The abductors have not been identified but are believed to be criminal gangs seeking ransom payments. The BBC heard from this man who witnessed the latest abductions. They've been moved along on foot the way shepherds control their herds. The gunmen ride their motorbikes while controlling the girls and sarcastically tell them to run, run. And that's how they treat them. Sometimes they pick up the younger ones to run them farther ahead and then return to pick up more. They pressure those that fall on the ground because of fatigue to move on quickly. Our Africa correspondent Mayeni Jones is in Abuja?

3:09The town that they were taken from is incredibly remote. It takes about nine hours to drive to from the state's capital, Mina. And you have to take a ferry as well to get past it. So it's very difficult to get information out. And the remoteness of the area where this took place, that doesn't bode well for finding the kids, does it? Absolutely. Niger state is the biggest state in Nigeria by landmass. This means that they're very ideal ground for these criminal gangs to take their victims to and hide them. So and that's why the authorities are saying they want to deploy more armed forces in the area.

3:44There's an ongoing search and rescue operation. They're trying to mobilise more police officers to secure more parts of the country. They're trying to recruit 30 ,000 more police officers to try and reinforce the security services here. We say criminal gangs because obviously this is a horrific criminal act but should we read anything into the fact that the children who were kidnapped were Christian? Yeah, at the moment we can't rule anything out at all. Obviously the north of Nigeria has been home to Islamist insurgent groups linked to IS, linked to al-Qaeda for several years now, for well over a decade.

4:21And they have been targeting people of all faiths. Clearly at the moment they're also very savvy. They realise when the government is under pressure and when might be a good time to try and exert ransoms for them. And at the moment with President Trump's comments on Christians being targeted in the north, they know that the Nigerian authorities will be keen to try and keep the security situation under check. And so some analysts have suggested that perhaps we're seeing this spike in abductions recently because they know this might be a good time to try and extort money from the government as they try and get victims back to avoid diplomatic problems with Washington.

4:58Meanwhile, the impact on the education of children, millions of children is huge. Yeah, absolutely devastating. A number of states in northern Nigeria have now asked all secondary schools and colleges to close down. This is a part of the country that already has big problems with access to education, particularly for girls. And so you now have thousands, potentially millions of children in this region who find themselves unable to go to school every day. And it's not clear when the authorities will deem it safe enough for these schools to reopen. The problem with these kidnappings is once you get one and people are released and other gangs think a ransom have been paid, that serves as an incentive for them to carry out their own kidnappings.

5:39So they do have a way of kind of replicating themselves. Mayeni Jones. The United States has described talks on a peace deal for Ukraine as productive. A 28-point plan from the White House asks Ukraine to hand over territory to Russia, limit the size of its army and agree not to pursue the Kremlin for alleged war crimes. The US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said there were just a couple of issues still to be resolved. He's now left Geneva where the negotiations were taking place. As we record this podcast, President Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Kremlin had not received any information on the outcome of the talks.

6:17Meanwhile, in a video address to Sweden's parliament, President Zelensky said ceding territory to Russia remained a major problem. Dimko Jelenko is a Ukrainian drone pilot in Donetsk. How does he feel about the prospect of Ukraine giving up this land? We think it's hilarious because we think that given the progress that they get each and every day by sacrificing hundreds of their soldiers in those endless assaults, I think it would take them a good couple more years to at least take the rest of Donetsk Oblast. And there is no point of just giving it up for free, as it's stated in the initial US peace proposal.

7:01I asked our Geneva correspondent Imogen Foulkes if the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was being too optimistic. The short answer to that might be yes. If you look at the bitter and also complex nature of this conflict and the many apparent stumbling blocks in this 28 point plan, we have in it the suggestion that Ukraine should give up territory, that it should abandon all hopes of joining NATO and that it should reduce the size of its armed forces. On the other side, there's a demand that Russia hand over some of its billions of its frozen assets to fund Ukraine's reconstruction, to rebuild the cities that Russia attacked.

7:51So I think there's a lot of stumbling blocks that both sides will be looking at and saying, well, we've got a red line there. They've got a red line there. Is there going to be any compromise? And this is why I think many people, including in Ukraine and in Europe, don't really share Marco Rubio's optimism that this is just about a done deal. And we just heard that clip of President Zelensky speaking to the Swedish parliament. He's making all the noises that you'd want him to make, but he's not really changing his position either, is he? No. And, you know, you get this sense not just from Zelensky, but also from the Europeans who were also in Geneva yesterday and still into today, where they're conscious always that one misstep, one misliked or misunderstood word could launch another angry social media post from the White House.

8:55I mean, frankly, we were astonished in Geneva yesterday to see these talks just beginning and then this all capitals post from President Trump complaining that Ukraine was ungrateful. At any point, there could be frustration or anger that could derail things. And I think this is why we see President Zelensky saying, I'm very grateful and the US has been so good to me, but I don't want to give up any territory. It's not diplomacy as we know it, but everybody feels, I think, that they have to try. Imogen, folks. So what chance is there that Ukraine and its European allies can come up with counterproposals that might work?

9:37Yulia Osmolovska is a former senior Ukrainian diplomat who's now director of the Kiev office of the international affairs think tank Globsec. She's been speaking to Tim Franks. Definitely. I'm confident that the version that we will see at the end as a result of the talks and negotiations would be different from this original U.S.-Russian suggested plan, because the Americans are signaling that they are talking intensively with Ukrainians both yesterday and today, and they are determined to come to the common ground on the paper. So normally what we have in diplomatic practice is actually we would like to see the joint paper, which would combine both the proposals and counter proposals into single document.

10:23And this paper would be very good starting point for analysis. I understand the principle. Do you think it's at all feasible that the sort of the Russian maximalist positions on Ukraine, its territory, its abilities to defend itself and so on, that that can be squared with what would be acceptable to Kiev? Because at the moment, it feels as if the two sides, I mean, understandably, are very, very far apart. Yes, of course. These talks could provide a sort of a document that then will be presented to the Russian side, because as we know, Americans are determined then to have the next round of talks in Moscow.

11:05However, we already have seen the remarks of the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia, Ryabkov, saying that Russians are not stepping down from the initial demands like prohibition of any enlargement of NATO and withdrawal of all the Allied troops from Eastern Europe, so not just from Ukraine. As long as Russians are still confident that they're having the upper hand in the situation, which is a bit misleading for Russia if you see the situation on the front line, they're not advancing at such a pace that could give them the confidence that they're definitely winning. But this is a perception that is currently grounded in the mind of the American president, I guess.

11:44So I think that one of the challenging and the most important psychological points right now in all these talks and discussions, actually to effectively convince the American side that Russians are not winning. Therefore, they can't just simply dictate their terms. Clearly, one of the big issues is over the status of the territory in the East, which Russia currently occupies. One of the other big issues is about justice and how far that is pursued after the end of hostilities. There does seem to be in the leak of the US-Russian plan, sort of an idea of a general amnesty. How much of a red line is that for Ukraine, do you think?

12:30I think it is a very important red line for Ukraine because the society expects the justice. And some of the social sentiments, measurement clearly showed that for Ukrainian society, justice and punishment for war crimes rings much, much higher than even corruption inside the country. So I think if Ukrainian side is to compromise on this particular point, this would be very, very difficult then for the president and his team to sell this in the society. Former senior Ukrainian diplomat Yulia Osmalovska. The US designation of the Venezuelan cartel de los Soles as a foreign terrorist organisation has come into force as Washington ramps up pressure on the President Nicolas Maduro.

13:17The designation is part of a US campaign against drugs and illegal immigration from Latin America. Our global affairs reporter Mimi Suaby has more details. As Venezuelans anxiously await a supposed new phase of Washington's Operation Southern Spear, the designation of Cartel de los Soles grants the US more legal power in what it insists is a fight against drugs. The Trump administration accuses the cartel of trafficking and says it's headed by President Nicolás Maduro and his officials. Venezuela's government has rejected what it called a ridiculous plan to designate a non-existent group. It says Washington's true motive is regime change.

13:56US pressure has been mounting, heightened by the arrival of the world's largest warship to the South Caribbean adding to an already large military build-up. Several international airlines have cancelled flights to Venezuela due to heightened military activity. At least 80 people have been killed in US strikes on vessels allegedly carrying drugs from South America to the US since early September. Mimi Swaby. Peru is home to Machu Picchu, the ancient Inca city in the Andes Mountains. It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site which attracts around 1.5 million visitors every year, making it very lucrative for the Peruvian government, which receives most of the ticket money.

14:35But there are conflicts about how that money is being spent and whether it's benefiting the tourists and locals. The BBC's Jane Chambers reports from Peru. Aguas Calientes is the gateway town to Machu Picchu. Most tourists come here by train and then take a 20-minute bus ride up to the site. One of them, Elizabeth Radke from the United States, tells me what she thinks of the legendary site. I think what really impressed me is just how innovative the Incas were in terms of the building and being able to cut stone before they had tools that really cut stone. Tourists come here from all over the world.

15:15They're a major source of income for the town. As the mayor of Machu Picchu district, Elvis La Torre, explains. Around 95 % of our economy comes from tourism. A general adult ticket to Machu Picchu costs around$45, but the mayor says the money ends up elsewhere. And 90 % of all ticket sales go to the Ministry of Culture. He wants the allocation of money to change. We want to receive a bigger percentage of the money and for it to stay here in the Cusco region. so that we can improve services for tourists here in Machu Picchu and in the rest of the region. I contacted Peru's Ministry of Culture for a response to the comments made by Mayor Elvis Latore, but haven't yet had a reply.

16:07The train to and from Aguascalientes is a magical journey through lush tropical landscapes with brightly coloured flowers and snow-capped mountains in the distance. Back in the former capital of the Inca Empire, Cusco, I meet Carlos Gonzalez, the president of the Chamber of Tourism for the region. Like the mayor, he's also not happy about how the ticket money is currently spent by the Ministry of Culture. The sad part is only 7 % of that money, so we're talking about$5 million per year, goes to the preservation of the site. And the rest, the largest sum, and 93 % of it goes to the Ministry of Culture and is used primarily for paying payrolls.

16:51But he admits it's difficult for him to get the change he wants. Peru's suffering from political instability with a high turnover of presidents and ministers. I've been a leader of the tourism sector for five years now. I've lost count how many ministers, vice ministers and congresspeople I've spoken to. But we cannot cease to exert that pressure from the private sector. Otherwise, things are going to remain the same. Carlos Gonzalez, president of the Cusco Chamber of Tourism, ending that report from Jane Chambers. Still to come in this podcast. There is a place where wildlife rules, where humans risk their lives to protect nature, where rhinos are not a symbol of extinction but one of hope.

17:43With one in 20 rhinos killed by poachers each year, a rare success story in Kenya.

17:55If journalism is the first draft of history, what happens if that draft is flawed? In 1999, four Russian apartment buildings were bombed, hundreds killed. But even now, we still don't know for sure who did it. It's a mystery that sparked chilling theories. I'm Helena Merriman, and in a new BBC series, I'm talking to the reporters who first covered this story. What did they miss the first time? The History Bureau, Putin and the apartment bombs. Listen on BBC.com or wherever you get your podcasts.

18:35A suicide bombing attack has killed several people in Pakistan at a paramilitary headquarters in Peshawar at 8am local time this morning. Police said a suicide bomber blew himself up at the entrance to the compound and two other attackers were shot dead. Our Pakistan correspondent is Caroline Davis and has been following the story. We heard from eyewitnesses that they had two explosions around 10 past eight this morning. Rescue teams went to the site. We know that all of the local hospitals have said that there were five people brought in with minor injuries. But two police officials have also told the BBC that there were five soldiers and seven civilians injured.

19:15So still some lacking clarity about exactly the number of people who were caught up in this, although there is confirmation that there have been civilians injured as well. Three soldiers were killed in this explosion that's been confirmed by Pakistan's interior minister who commented in a social media post. We've also heard a little bit more about exactly what seems to have happened. We've heard from the police who've said that there were two suicide explosions. The first one they say took place just at the main gate and the other they've described as being near a motorcycle stand located just inside the premises.

19:49They've also said that the attackers that came in were then shot by the forces that were guarding the headquarters. And that they're sort of suggesting has managed to foil the attack, according to the words of the interior minister. Do we know who's behind this? We haven't had an official claim of responsibility. And I would also say that when we had a relatively recent incident here just earlier this month in Islamabad, Although there was an initial claim that was being circulated by local media and was circulating on social media that it had been the Pakistani Taliban, that is for the Islamabad incident, we then heard that the Pakistani Taliban spokesperson was telling local media, distancing themselves.

20:29So even when we start hearing claims, there's also quite often a lot of confusion about exactly who might be behind these. So we're waiting to hear if anyone does claim it and if that claim then sticks. Because this is far from a one-off issue, isn't it? Yes, we've seen an increase in militancy across Pakistan, but that's quite often more in the sort of border areas, particularly with Afghanistan. We, of course, earlier this month, as I mentioned, saw a suicide bombing referred to as by the authorities here at a judicial complex in Islamabad. That is quite unusual. We haven't seen a suicide blast for several years in the capital.

21:04and this is significant as well because this was an incident that happened with these paramilitaries in this particular area which was a highly secure area and so it will be interesting to see what further response we get from the authorities here. Caroline Davis in Pakistan. It's six weeks since the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas while more aid is now entering Gaza. The World Food Programme says it's been getting in only about two-thirds of the volume of food supplies it hoped and that there are still access constraints. With the help of our freelancers in Gaza, we spoke to an aid worker at a community kitchen run by the US aid organisation Enera to see what's changed.

21:45Here's our Middle East correspondent, Yoland Nell.

21:51Garlic is simmering in huge pots set up in a long line heated over open wood fires. What's being prepared here isn't just lunch. It's a lifeline. This community kitchen opened in Azaweda in central Gaza after the ceasefire. 40 cooks now serve up food daily for thousands of displaced people living in nearby camps who rely on it. We increase up to 120 pots in a day, targeting more than 30 IDG scams, serving more than 4 ,000 families compared to just 900 families six months ago. Taste testing the dish, Sami Matar works for American Near East Refugee Aid, Anira, which runs two kitchens, working with another US humanitarian organisation, World Central Kitchen.

22:44But while more food is getting into Gaza than it did before, there are vital ingredients missing to improve people's diets. We are mostly confined to cook just three types of meals in a week. Rice, pasta and lentil. We need the food to be more diverse and to secure essential protein like meat and chicken. Those essential are not allowed to enter Gaza for humanitarian aid distribution. On the menu today, it's spaghetti, made with canned vegetables and tomato sauce and flavoured with herbs and spices. An increase in fuel allowed into Gaza means the Nira can use a lorry to get the meal to camps where children are already queuing for the handouts.

23:38The pasta is a popular choice. A little redhead boy shows his delight.

23:51I'm happy because of the kitchen, he says, because there's sweet corn and everything. Other children, grinning, sit on the ground and start tucking into their family's rations, eating with their fingers. Anira has a list of those vetted to receive aid in the tent camps. Most people, like Aida Salha, come from northern Gaza. They've had their homes destroyed in the war, lost loved ones and have no savings left. We eat the food available from the soup kitchen. We live off it. I swear, nothing's changed since the ceasefire. We were only happy because the constant bloodshed had stopped. The UN has already confirmed famine in parts of Gaza.

24:35With the onset of winter, life has been getting harder. A week ago, camps were flooded by heavy rain. Aid agencies are pressing for all the border crossings to be opened by Israel to bring in more supplies. For now, aid workers like Sami Matar do their best. The conversation we have with the family in the camps are heartbreaking. The overwhelming feeling is one of the deep uncertainty and exhaustion. Most of them are focused on survival from one day to the next, how to keep their children warm and fit, especially in the winter season. The ceasefire in Gaza remains shaky, and Palestinians are sceptical about the international peace plan.

25:21Still, with no other good options, they desperately need it to work.

25:29Yolande Nell. South Korea's most prolific online sex criminal has been sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of exploiting dozens of people by spreading thousands of sexual abuse materials using an encrypted messaging app. Kim Knock One was head of a pyramid-style gang that blackmailed victims, many of them underage girls, into sharing explicit content. I got more details from our correspondent in Seoul, Jake Kwon. Telegram, the messaging app that really prides itself on the privacy, the encryption, They shared for the very first time in the history the information around their users with the South Korean police.