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the conversation you have just heard might sound like two friends arranging to meet, but the reality is much more sinister. this is a covert operation on the hunt to catch a criminal. on one end of the phone a suspected blackmailer. on the other, a civil defence unit committed to catching him. it’s committed to catching him. it's his turn here. _ committed to catching him. it�*s his turn here. it says are beheaded. i his turn here. it says are beheaded.— his turn here. it says are beheaded. i am a kenyan journalist _ beheaded. i am a kenyan journalist and _ beheaded. i am a kenyan journalist and i _ beheaded. i am a kenyan journalist and i have - beheaded. i am a kenyan - journalist and i have travelled to nigeria to investigate a form of blackmail that has become so prevalent that it has its own name — kito. all of nigeria, the queer community have been targeted by blackmailers. they threatened to kidnap, beat, and extort them. in the car ahead is a

civil defence unit. armed and ready to apprehend the suspected blackmailer. in the blue shirt, the bait, the person the suspects things �*s meeting. the team are behind him because if they lose track of him, it can be very risky, because we might not know exactly where they are going. up exactly where they are going. up ahead, a man, also in a blue t—shirt, starts acting suspiciously, and walking away. the unit quickly apprehends him. they check his phone for evidence he is a blackmailer. while interrogating him, the bait receives a message with a blackmailer.

the operation has failed. they have arrested the wrong guy. meanwhile, the blackmailer has slipped away into the night and remains at large. all of nigeria, there are countless stories of queer people being blackmailed and exhorted, sometimes for years. i want to know who is behind these crimes and the pain it is causing. the first time i had to make heard about queer people being blackmailed a friend rhys avid said one of his colleagues visiting canyoner, my home country, was had finished, beaten up, and some of his

personal belongings taken from him, this is after using grindr, dj out. there are a lot of cases in kenya. it doesn't be the number of cases in nigeria. it is so random to make rapid that they have a name for it, kito. i've had a website where some of the blackmailers have released the data that to the community. i wanted to know waiters are to know weight is such a big problem here is i began digging into it. nigeria is known for its conservative and religious values where 87% of people oppose gay rights. in 2014, a law was passed which criminalised same—sex marriage. at a time when most countries in the world take the route of recognising homosexuals, leaders like the nigerian president have chosen to stick to roots and tradition, by going ahead to sign an anti—gay

bill into law. nigeria isn't the only country in which there are homosexuality laws. any african continent alone, 37 countries have homosexuality laws in place. the passing of or widespread support and lead to a rise in homophobic attacks and even mob justice across nigeria. i am justice across nigeria. i am very glad- _ justice across nigeria. i am very glad- we _ justice across nigeria. i am very glad. we are - justice across nigeria. i am very glad. we are africa. i justice across nigeria. i am | very glad. we are africa. we don't want such things in our country. i am so happy that they signed against it. the law banned gay — they signed against it. the law banned gay clubs _ they signed against it. the law banned gay clubs and - they signed against it. the law. banned gay clubs and same-sex banned gay clubs and same—sex affection in public, with penalties of up to 14 years in prison. forsome, this penalties of up to 14 years in prison. for some, this wasn't enough. some nigerians simply to the law into their own hands. activists claim nigeria's anti—gay laws have empowered blackmailers and led to an explosion in kito. to

understand what it is like to be gay in nigeria, i am meeting a queerfilmmaker. herfirst a queer filmmaker. her first film a queerfilmmaker. herfirst film was banned in cinemas across the country. —— queer film. but she's invited me to the premiere of herfilm film. but she's invited me to the premiere of her film 14 years and a day. i the premiere of her film 14 years and a day.— the premiere of her film 14 years and a day. i think the way they — years and a day. i think the way they are _ years and a day. i think the way they are perceived - years and a day. i think the way they are perceived in i way they are perceived in nigeria is even worse. i experienced more than these periods during the film. there are clear people being blackmailed, extorted, beaten up. —— queer. blackmailed, extorted, beaten un- -- queer-— blackmailed, extorted, beaten up. -- queer. how rampant would ou sa up. -- queer. how rampant would you say the _ up. -- queer. how rampant would you say the cases _ up. -- queer. how rampant would you say the cases are? _ up. -- queer. how rampant would you say the cases are? quite - you say the cases are? quite rampant- _ you say the cases are? quite rampant. every _ you say the cases are? quite rampant. every other - you say the cases are? quite rampant. every other day - you say the cases are? quite i rampant. every other day there is a story on the internet. sometimes there are stories where somebody has been lynched to death. it is the reaction from the rest of the nigerians,

you know? it is always celebrated become a the gaze, kill them, they should be allowed to come out. and there is no justice. allowed to come out. and there is nojustice. —— gays. if you reported to the pleasures more harassment. they will extort you some more. more than anything they would target poor people for anything and everything. and so to be a poor and gay person is even worse. i and gay person is even worse. i want to meet some of the victims who have been affected by this crime. ok, ready. four have agreed to meet me. it could be dangerous for them to reveal their identities, so we are using a secure location where they can speak freely.

thank you so much for coming and i know this is not easy for you to talk about, but do you remember, you know, how you ended up being kitoed, what happened? how did you feel when he said that?

when the video went online, how is that experience like for you?

when somebody has been kitoed, do they usually go to the police? so this was in a police station? so it was the police who were beating you and recording you? so in this case you were kitoed by police? what were you afraid of the most?

i not entirely sure ours able to actually myself together when i was speaking to all the victims of kito. and this into every single one of them struggling with their mental health to a point where they have lost so much and they feel like there is no more reason to live. i think what pays me the

most is that they never get justice. they never forget what they went through. some of them have been evicted from their homes. their lives will not be the same again. and the question is should they have had to go through what they went through? where does it stop? having heard how isolated and alone victims of kito can feel, i'm interested to know if there are safe spaces for the community. i have been invited to an underground queer party. according to the ssn p alone, the events are illegal and that

anyone could lead to years in jail. so details are released at the last minute. while they need to remain vigilant, these activities are an opportunity for the community to come together, blow off steam, and be themselves in a country where it could have dangerous consequences. but even in this space, people tell me that blackmailers have started hunting victims. this doesn't happen often and it takes a lot, according to some of them, when parties happen, doesn't happen every time, but when they do, they are in a secret location and trying to be as discreet as possible just for their safety. while victims of kito have told me that the police are sometimes complicit in the crime, there are some members of the law enforcement who are standing up for the queer community. though what

this officer is doing is legal, we have agreed to withhold his identity. this civil defence officer works with a team of activists who oppose online as queer people looking to hook up. but they actually have a very different objective. to catch a kito. victims send them profiles of other people who blackmailed them, names, telephone numbers, and photos, then the team start laying the trap with the aim of getting the suspect to agree to meet. once the suspect has agreed to meet, they will call on the civil defence officer and his men to provide the muscle and

make the arrest. in effect, it is a source —— sort of reverse kito, giving the blackmailers a test of their own medicine. for two months, the activists have been undercover, communicating with a suspected blackmailer. he operates as part of a gang who are believed to have dozens of victims across the country. finally got the suspect has agreed to meet the bait. the operation is going ahead. and i am going with them. i am a bit anxious because this could go either way and everything is moving very fast. this maroon car is the one the victim is in, and then security officers are in a different car as well. or we can do at this point is literally follow them because we don't interfere with their work. it is my hope that we can get to see an actual arrest of a kitoist and how it turns out.

there is a lot riding on this operation. he sets out on foot heading to the meeting point. meanwhile, and make my way to a vantage point outside. the suspect and the bait head into the mall. he has fallen straight into the trap. positioned outside in the blue vehicle is the civil defence unit ready to pounce.

he isjust he is just resisting. he isjust resisting. basically this is what we call the same strategies that the keyto now used to nab a victim is a scene where the security officers have relied on. so now the more he is resisting it seems the more they are using force to arrest him.

the unit finally managed to apprehend him. while i was shocked by the use of force, for the civil defence unit, this is a huge win. having arrested this target they may now be able to track down the gang he is working with and potentially save more victims from blackmail. with little face in the police, the queer community have developed their own form of justice. i've been told about an activist known as kfc who brings blackmailers fa ce—to —fa ce brings blackmailers face—to—face with their victims. tried to cover your face. the aim of these meetings is for

the blackmailers to realise the pain they inflict and to offer the victims of some kind of closure. this man has invited me to one of his reconciliations. what happens if they don't show up? is there a chance that it doesn't go well because these are people who has been hurt facing the person who hurt them? , . . . , ., , them? there is chances and they can to them? there is chances and they can go south- — you dedicate a lot of time and work in trying to stop blackmailers. why do you do what you do?

the blackmailer arrives and tells this man he was forced into because he was desperate to pay his bills. unable to get a job a friend told him it was easy money that once he started he couldn't get out. his friend was now threatening to keep blackmailing and was taking a big cut. he is remorseful about what he has done and he wants forgiveness.

the blackmailer took advantage of the vic. he viciously beat him, stole his phone and all his money. i'm nervous to see how this meeting will go.

the confession comes to an end and the victim is left from the room. the victim is still in too much pain and isn't able to forgive the blackmailer for

what he did to him and the blackmailer is crippled with guilt, left in tears. it is clear to me there are no winners in this crime.

i'm left reflecting on the devastation this crime causes. for the big terms, their lives are shunted with some unable to ever move on. in an incident i witnessed, the blackmailer is still wracked with guilt. with little support from the police and the prospect of nigeria's —— no prospect of nigeria's anti—gay laws being overturned the blackmailers will continue to act with total impunity. what they call kito here as a silent killer and that is because i have come across people who wish the breath they took was the lastjust because they have given up because of their experiences. i've also come across people whose financial situation has pushed them to take such advantage of

other people and from how i see it, kito or blackmailer is a vicious cycle and until something is done then to continue to thrive. hello there. it really was a gorgeous day today across england and wales, lots of sunshine around. temperatures in west yorkshire reached 24.3 celsius,

making it the warmest day of the year so far. in northern ireland and scotland we saw more cloud for a while, producing one of two spots of rain. that was mainly due to a very weak weather front — that's heading its way out into the north sea. following on from that, we've got some cooler air coming around our area of high pressure from the north, so temperatures for many of us will be a little bit lower on sunday. we start quite chilly where we've got the clearer skies across eastern areas of scotland. temperatures here could be close to freezing in one or two places. there is more cloud coming into the north—west mind you, and we've got that cloud affecting some eastern parts of england and into the north sea. there will be some sunshine at times in scotland and northern ireland. the cloud coming and going, particularly in the north—west, and with the north—easterly breeze across eastern england, it will push that cloud further west, although hanging on to the best of the sunshine in west wales, western england and along the south coast. but the highest temperatures are going to be pushed to the south—west this time. it will be cooler further north and east, and quite a significant drop in temperature on sunday

for the north—east of england. but it's still dry. we've got high pressure in charge. the position of the high means that there's some stronger winds on monday into shetland, blowing in more cloud, and there is also a stronger east to north—easterly wind affecting southern parts of england, which will make it feel a little bit cooler, probably. and we could blow in some cloud in the morning through the midlands and eastern england. that should break up in the afternoon. lots of sunshine around on bank holiday monday. there is cooler air in place across england and wales. highest temperatures will be further west. in northern ireland and scotland, it is turning a bit warmer on monday, temperatures back into the low 20s. high pressure remains in charge on monday and into tuesday. the position is not really changing very much. light winds for many, but still those stronger winds through the english channel and southern parts of england. with the wind coming in off the north sea, we could see more cloud through much of the day on tuesday for eastern areas of england. always going to be warmer towards the west and the north, temperatures getting into the low 20s. and in scotland, we could see highs of 24 degrees or so on tuesday. and really all week we are dominated by high pressure, it is still dry,

sunshine most days, and those temperatures reaching the mid 20s for the middle part of the week.

live from washington, this is bbc news. we're live in washington dc tonight, where the white house and us republicans reach an agreement in principle to raise the government debt limit. air strikes on ukraine's capital as the country's most senior security official says the military is ready to launch its long—expected counter—offensive against russian forces. and turkey's first—ever presidential run—off election gets underway in a matter of hours.

hello, i'm carl nasman. we start tonight here in washington —