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O.J. Simpson Dies Of Cancer; Zelensky Tells Allies To Walk The Walk; Kyiv's Largest Power plant Destroyed; President Biden Said The U.S. Defense Commitment to Philippines And Japan Is Ironclad; Johnson Allies Ask Trump For Support; The Legacy Of Chibok School Kidnapping, 10 Years Later. Aired 2-2:45a ET

Aired April 12, 2024 - 02:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[02:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to all you watching us around the world, I'm Kim Brunhuber, this is "CNN Newsroom." After more hits on Ukraine's power grid by Russia, President Volodymyr Zelensky sends a strong message to his country's allies. O.J. Simpson, the U.S. football star who was controversially acquitted in a double murder, has died of cancer.

We'll have a look back at the scandals surrounding his life. And almost a decade has passed since hundreds of schoolgirls were abducted in Chubuk, Nigeria. The stories of some who escaped.

VOICE-OVER: Live from Atlanta, this is "CNN Newsroom" with Kim Brunhuber.

BRUNHUBER: Ukraine's President is sending a message to allies saying it's time to walk the walk when it comes to military aid. He spoke after Russian drones and missiles laid waste to Ukraine's power grid again Thursday morning, even though Kyiv says its air defenses shot down almost 70 percent of the incoming targets. But President Volodymyr Zelensky says his military needs more air defenses and other military aid.

At a regional European summit in Lithuania on Thursday, he said Ukraine's allies need to put their promises into action. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): I have clearly outlined what Putin is planning to do this year. We have enough information from our intelligence. It is critical that each partner fulfills its promises regarding the supply of weapons and ammunition, as well as our joint production agreements.

Every day, Russian missiles are fired and every day the number of promises increases. Every day, Ukrainian soldiers at the front withstand the brutal pressure of Russian artillery and guided aerial bombs. (END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Russian President Vladimir Putin says Thursday's attack was a response to Ukrainian strikes on Russia's power facilities. Ukraine's biggest power company says 80 percent of its power generating capacity is now destroyed. As Fred Pleitgen reports, it's the biggest power plant near Ukraine's capital.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): Kyiv's largest power plant destroyed, the energy company Centro Energo, declaring Thursday, quote, "A black day." The dark smoke on the skyline marking the end of the company's energy supply. All three of its power plants across the country either destroyed or occupied.

Russian strikes systematically targeting power facilities have been a constant in Ukraine since late 2022, but have ramped up in recent weeks. DTEK, Ukraine's largest power company, saying two of their plants were also targeted overnight. They say their facilities have suffered their worst attacks this month since the war began, with 80 percent of their infrastructure already destroyed.

Employees trying to repair and to rebuild. The burnt out skeleton of their facilities needing to be back up and running as soon as possible, echoing each other's calls for the world to ramp up its weapons support.

UNKNOWN: We need more air defenses. If we don't have air defenses, there won't be anything left. A lot of missiles and drones get through and we get a lot of hits.

PLEITGEN (voice-over): It's a call heard many times over with the Ukrainian President currently in Lithuania to meet European leaders and to ensure those calls do not become a white noise in this very long war. Warnings by generals also becoming more desperate, with the country's parliament voting on Thursday to overhaul mobilization rules, potentially allowing the military to call up more men.

YURLY SODOL, COMMANDER, JOINT FORCES OF UKRAINE (through translator): The enemy outnumbers us by seven to ten times. We lack manpower. We are holding the defenses on the last breath.

PLEITGEN (voice-over): The bill still needing to be signed into law by Zelensky is a sign of an exhausted front line. Civilians in Kyiv spending the night once again underground, a routine too familiar for a country resilient as ever. For Pleitgen, CNN, Delphi, Greece.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: The head of the U.S. European Command says Russia has been, quote, "Quite successful at rebuilding its military since invading Ukraine more than two years ago." Despite severe losses and heavy sanctions from the West, Moscow is replenishing its forces while Ukraine struggles with manpower and weapons. Officials say Russia puts its entire economy on a war footing. It's unsustainable in the long run. But for now, General Chris Cavoli admits Russia has grown back. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTOPHER CAVOLI, COMMANDER, U.S. EUROPEAN COMMAND: The attrition that they've suffered so far has been very significant, but it's been localized. It's been mainly in the ground forces. They lost a couple thousand tanks in the ground forces. They lost as many as seventy five thousand killed from the ground forces.

[02:05:00]

But they've replenished those. They've grown back to what they were before. They've got some gaps that have been produced by this war, but their overall capacity is very significant still. And they intend to make it go higher.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Meanwhile, members of the U.S. Congress continue to battle over support for Ukraine to the point where it threatens the speakership of Republican Mike Johnson at the hands of some in his own party. And now Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries says Democrats wouldn't want to see the Speaker ousted for pushing a critical aid vote on Ukraine.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HAKEEM JEFFRIES, U.S. HOUSE MINORITY LEADER: That I believe that there are a reasonable number of Democrats who would not want to see the speaker fall as a result of doing the right thing. Observation, not a declaration, because we have to have a conversation. I didn't necessarily mean to rhyme there, but a conversation amongst ourselves as House Democrats before making such a solemn decision.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Speaker House Johnson has suggested House Republicans are working on their own bill, but that has yet to materialize. U.S. military says it's dropped another almost three tons of aid into northern Gaza, and Israel is promising to open a new land route to deliver desperately needed supplies to the territory. But the top U.S. humanitarian official says much more needs to be done.

Samantha Power told lawmakers reports the famine is already occurring in parts of Gaza are credible. She says one in three children in northern Gaza are malnourished compared to nearly none before the start of the war.

Meanwhile, Israel is preparing for a possible attack from Iran, and the U.S. is working to prevent it. Iran's Foreign Minister spoke by phone this week with his counterparts from Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Reports say the U.S. has called those three diplomats, urging them to help lower tensions in the region. Israel is bracing for retaliation after a strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria last week that killed a dozen Iranian military officials.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he is preparing for all scenarios. Here's more of what he had to say during a visit to Israeli air base on Thursday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): We are in the midst of the war in Gaza, which continues in full force. At the same time, we continue our unceasing efforts to return our hostages. But we are also preparing for scenarios of challenges in other arenas. And we established a simple principle. Whoever hurts us, we hurt him. We are preparing to meet the security needs of the state of Israel.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Iran says it's imperative to punish Israel for the Damascus attack could have been avoided if the United Nations Security Council had condemned the strike. The Council discussed the situation earlier this month, but differences among its members prevented any formal action. U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres condemned the attack through his spokesperson.

And joining me now from London is Daniel Levy. He's the president of the U.S. Middle East Project. He's advised multiple Israeli prime ministers and worked on negotiations with the Palestinians. Thank you so much for being here with us again. So, first on Iran, how big a concern is this threat from Iran, do you think?

DANIEL LEVY, PRESIDENT, U.S., MIDDLE EAST PROJECT: Well, clearly, there's a lot of speculation. Speculation is not entirely unfounded. Will something be imminent? Will something be firm but non-escalatory or escalatory nature? But there's also a lot of disinformation and psychological warfare in the mix at a moment like this, Kim.

So, I think that the best service we can do is to step back but focus more on what we do know. We know that Iran has not looked to get involved directly in this war. We know that channels between the U.S. and Iran have been activated. We know that Iran's ally, Hezbollah, in Lebanon has not sought to escalate this to a full war. There are exchanges across the border. Some of the Israeli forces are tied down there.

We know that Houthi militia have engaged in support of Palestinians, as have Iraqi militias. But we also know that the Israeli leadership under Netanyahu have been prodding and pushing and provoking, and the action in Damascus was a serious escalation. And therefore, we're at this point where the thing that the U.S. has apparently wanted to prevent, which is a regional conflagration, is on the agenda.

That could suck the U.S. in. But if we zoom out, the thing that we're most aware of is the link to Gaza and that you're only going to de- escalate regionally if one can bring a close to the atrocities, the devastation in Gaza. We've heard a U.S. official Samantha Power confirmed that there is famine. [02:10:00]

It is said it's the most catastrophic hunger created by a war situation since it started to measure food security with this system 20 years ago. We know there are 34,000 plus Palestinians dead, 14,000 plus children. The devastation in that place, and it continues, and the U.S. has continued to send weapons to Israel. So, this is a very combustible mix, Kim.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah, absolutely. And on that, I mean, Israel says it's boosting aid to Gaza, adding another land crossing. But according to aid officials, access is still complicated and as risky as ever, as we saw yesterday when a UNICEF convoy was hit by gunfire as they waited to enter northern Gaza in an area that was supposed to be safe.

LEVY: Well, exactly. There is no need for there to be airdrops. The U.S., Britain and others may say, well, we're airdropping. We know that that is the worst way of getting stuff in. This idea of a seaport to be constructed that was announced in the State of the Union address by Biden, all this, I'm afraid, is for the birds. It's not serious.

The land crossings exist. Israel is not allowing the aid in, even when it says, look how many trucks the U.N. then explained to us that they're not allowing those trucks to be full, that those trucks, as we saw yesterday, U.N. trucks are being targeted. We know that more than 200 humanitarian aid workers have been killed by Israeli attacks. This is the largest number.

So, what we are not seeing is the kind of effort to end what is going on in Gaza, which also will be the only way to get those Israeli hostages who are still alive back to their families. The only way to end this catastrophic situation.

And although there are expressions of frustration by the Biden administration, they are not putting on the table the leverage that very much is at their disposal. And that primarily is the conveyor belt weapons, including these extremely devastating two thousand pound bombs that are still being sent to Israel.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah.

LEVY: So, we're not seeing that. Although there are more calls on the Democrat side for that to happen.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah, well, that's an important point. There are, you know, growing -- there is growing international condemnation. And, you know, some are suggesting that -- that Israel is -- is losing the battle for public opinion. Do you agree? And what effect might that have on the support, as you just mentioned, for -- for the war?

LEVY: Well, I think that is clear. I think that the global south, many in the West, on the streets, we see the public opinion polls. We know what's going on there. But we also know that the political class in many of these places, the U.S. in particular, is not ready to stop this. There is increasing dissent in Israel around this question of how high a priority should be the hostage deal, including if that has to lead to a ceasefire, which the Israeli leadership is against.

So, there's divisions inside the war cabinet, the public, even in the military. What it needs is a forceful external intervention. Only the U.S. is capable of that. The U.S. has not done that. You know, sometimes the comedian has as the sharpest words to say on this. There's -- there's an American comedian, John Stewart. He did a sketch the other day and he simply said, take the keys away.

He used an expletive. I won't repeat that expletive. The idea being Netanyahu at the driving wheel is a danger, of course, to Palestinians in the region, but also to Israelis and possibly to America, which is more isolated and more at risk of being dragged in.

BRUNHUBER: We'll have to leave it there, but always appreciate your analysis. Daniel Levy in London, thank you so much.

LEVY: Thank you, Kim.

BRUNHUBER: China appeared front of mind during historic talks at the White House on Thursday. U.S. President Joe Biden hosted the first ever trilateral summit with the Filipino president and Japanese Prime Minister.

The three leaders issued a joint vision statement saying they're equal partners and trusted friends bound by shared values. CNN's Kristie Lu Stout is covering this live from Hong Kong. So, Christy, take us through what was discussed and what came out of it.

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And you're right, Kim, China was definitely front of mind in this summit. You got the leaders of the U.S., Japan, the Philippines in the White House, and they're there to push back against China, to counter China and it's increasing pressure in the South China Sea. And China, aware of the situation here, is pushing back.

Earlier today, we learned that China's Coast Guard is conducting patrols this Friday near disputed islands in the East China Sea, the Diaoyu and the Senkaku Islands. This was being reported by state media. Now, it was on Thursday when the U.S. President hosted the Philippines President, as well as the Japanese prime minister, in a summit at the White House. And Biden said that the U.S. defense commitment to both countries is "ironclad."

[02:15:00]

Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: The United States defense commitments to Japan and to the Philippines are ironclad. They're ironclad. As I said before, any attack on Philippine aircraft, vessels or armed forces in the South China Sea would invoke our Mutual Defense Treaty.

(END VIDEO CLIP) LU STOUT: He mentioned the Mutual Defense Treaty, that's a treaty between the U.S. and the Philippines, it dates back to 1951. And he says both sides would help defend each other if either were to be attacked.

Now, on Thursday, the three countries announced plans to bolster the Philippines with new investment in infrastructure in the following key areas. Let's bring up the graphic for you in ports, in rail. In fact, a new rail and shipping corridor for the Philippines was announced in clean energy, semiconductor supply chain, as well as wireless communications. The three countries also pledged to deepen cooperation in humanitarian assistance.

Also on Thursday, we heard from the Japanese Prime Minister. He addressed a joint session of Congress and called China the greatest strategic challenge. And China has countered that. It has criticized Japan and the U.S. for ratcheting up tensions.

On Thursday, we heard from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A spokeswoman said this, quote, "U.S.-Japan relations should not target other countries, harm their interests or undermine regional peace and stability. China firmly opposes the Cold War mentality and small group politics," unquote. Mao Ning also added that China's actions at sea are in full compliance with international law.

Japan has a dispute with China over islands in the East China Sea. The Philippines has a dispute with China in the South China Sea. And there have been very tense encounters that CNN has witnessed in the South China Sea between the Philippines and China, as well. But China's provocative moves in this region have pushed these regional allies closer together. And as we witnessed overnight, closer to the United States. Kim.

BRUNHUBER: Interesting. All right. Thanks so much. Kristi Lu Stout in Hong Kong. Appreciate that. Still ahead, football stadiums across Europe are on alert as authorities warn of possible attacks from ISIS- K, the same group that struck the concert hall near Moscow. Plus, the top U.S. House Republican fights for his job after a broadside by members of his own party. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRUNHUBER: Police in Paris are boosting security ahead of this week's Champions League matches after threats from ISIS and its affiliates. And there is growing fear the terror group could strike here in the U.S. as well. CNN's Melissa Bell reports from Paris.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This was ISIS-K training in Afghanistan back in 2016. Now, it is to the United States that the group presents an urgent threat, according to FBI Director Chris Wray.

[02:20:00] CHRISTOPHER WRAY, FBI DIRECTOR: The potential for a coordinated attack here in the homeland, like the ISIS-K attack we saw at the Russia concert hall just a couple of weeks ago, is now increasingly concerning.

BELL (voice-over): That attack in Russia, the deadliest in decades, killing more than a hundred and quickly claimed by ISIS-K. The affiliate of ISIS that's been regrouping in Afghanistan and the surrounding region.

ROBERT BAER, FORMER CIA OPERATIVE: ISIS-K is like a blob that forms and reforms and disappears. What's left of it in Europe is a brand. And it's anybody who perceives a great injustice and has the capabilities can claim an attack in the name of ISIS. And this is what makes it so difficult to close this movement down.

And now, this clear sign that in the West, too, the group is back. A terror threat posted by the pro-ISIS Al-Azhaim media outlet, saying kill them all and identifying four major European stadiums, including London's Emirates Stadium, Paris' Parc des Princes and Madrid, where security was also tightened this week as Al-Azhaim broadcast an image of a drone flying above the stadium with the message strike them from the sky.

BAER: But where people congregate, it's virtually as impossible to protect them as we saw in Kansas City. Carrying weapons around this country is very easy. You can take a truck, stolen, leased, whatever, and run it into a mass gathering.

BELL (voice-over): The latest threats only adding to the pressure already being felt in Europe with France more than doubling the military personnel that patrol its streets in the wake of the Moscow attack.

EMMANUEL MACRON, FRENCH PRESIDENT (through translator): Our hope is that the culprits can be found as quickly as possible and that we continue to fight effectively against these groups which are targeting several countries.

WRAY: Makes it even more --

BELL (voice-over): Those groups now also targeting the United States at unprecedented levels, according to the FBI.

WRAY: I see blinking lights everywhere I turn.

BELL (voice-over): The attack on the Moscow Crocus music venue now seen as a wake up call for the West, too, as ISIS-K revives long dormant terror fears. Melissa Bell, CNN, Paris.

BRUNHUBER: The controversial U.S. surveillance bill is now headed for the full House of Representatives, which is expected to begin debate on its reauthorization on Friday. A few hours ago, the House Rules Committee cleared the way for a revised version of the so-called Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. The current law expires on April 19th, but Republicans sank an attempt

to reauthorize it on Wednesday after a call by former President Donald Trump. Under a new proposal, the law would be extended for two years instead of five.

Now, the law allows U.S. intelligence agencies to collect communication records of foreign citizens abroad. But critics say it's also a backdoor for the FBI to search data collected on Americans without proper safeguards. The reauthorization caused a major split among Republicans. And as in Sunlen Serfaty reports, it's also putting the House Speaker's job on the line.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE, U.S. HOUSE REPUBLICAN: I think the motion to vacate is also being supported by quite a few members in our conference. That said, that's an internal House issue with our elected Speaker of the House. Totally two separate issues. Hopefully, I have that. They have a great meeting tomorrow.

SERFATY (voice-over): In the middle of the most precarious moment of his rookie speakership.

SCOTT PERRY (R) Pennsylvania: I think the -- the sword hangs over Mike Johnson's neck.

SERFATY (voice-over): Speaker Johnson making the trip to Mar-a-Lago tomorrow to appear side by side with former President Trump and talk about what the Speaker's office is billing as election integrity. The pivotal meeting coming as Speaker Johnson is fighting for his political life from a challenge from Trump's close ally, Marjorie Taylor Greene.

GREENE: I absolutely love President Trump. I have a great relationship with him.

SERFATY (voice-over): Marjorie Taylor Greene escalating her threats against the speaker to oust him.

GREENE: The current Speaker of the House we have right now is getting rolled in every single meeting. He is negotiating from weakness.

SERFATY (voice-over): Only intensifying the thorny intraparty relationships that Johnson and Trump are attempting to navigate when they appear together tomorrow with stakes high for their party in an election year.

GREENE: Mike Johnson has -- he's literally turned into Mitch McConnell's twin. And worse, he's a Democrat.

SERFATY (voice-over): Sources tell CNN that amid Greene's threat, allies of Johnson have asked Trump to either publicly support the Speaker or at least stay out of it altogether. And sources close to Johnson don't dispute the timing of the visit, potentially only helping Johnson." Though this was a pre-planned event, this is not inconvenient for us. It's convenient for us." Acknowledging the Speaker's appearance with Trump is beneficial for them right now.

[02:25:00]

The meeting coming only two days after Trump dealt Speaker Johnson an embarrassing blow, defying Johnson and Republican leadership. Trump urging House Republicans to kill the reauthorization of the controversial surveillance law FISA, leading to its failure on a procedural vote. Despite this, Johnson and Trump have been slowly growing their relationship since Johnson's surprise assent to the gavel.

DONALD TRUMP, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: At this time yesterday, nobody was thinking of Mike and then we put out the word and now he's the Speaker of the House.

SERFATY (voice-over): Johnson, an election denier --

MIKE JOHNSON, U.S. HOUSE SPEAKER: The Constitution was clearly violated in the 2020 election.

SERFATY (voice-over): --- has visited Trump at Mar-a-Lago at least twice and endorsed him in November.

JOHNSON: That was one of the closest allies that President Trump had in Congress.

SERFATY (voice-over): Johnson's predecessor, former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, was even closer to Trump.

KEVIN MCCARTHY (R) FORMER U.S. HOUSE SPEAKER: I think the President has done a tremendous job.

SERFATY (voice-over): When Trump personally helped him get elected Speaker, it was then Marjorie Taylor Greene who stepped in, fielding calls from Trump to help sway McCarthy's opposers. A mere four months later, it was Trump, however, that declined saving his job when McCarthy was faced with his own rebellion from his right flank. A fate Johnson is hoping to avoid.

SERFATY: And these intra-party dynamics and this threat to Speaker Johnson providing quite the backdrop going into Friday's meeting. A source close to the Speaker tells me that they would, of course, welcome anything that President Trump wants to say in support of Johnson, but that he is the one that ultimately decides. And even at this point, they do not know how much or little he's going to get into this. Sunlen Serfaty, CNN on Capitol Hill.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: All right, still to come, millions watch the slow speed police chase of O.J. Simpson's white Bronco on live T.V. after he was charged with two counts of murder. Coming up, a look at the life and turbulent times of O.J. Simpson.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BRUNHUBER: Welcome back to all you watching us around the world, I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is "CNN Newsroom." O.J. Simpson, the former U.S. football star and broadcaster who was acquitted in the deaths of his ex-wife and her friend, has died at the age of 76 after a battle with prostate cancer.

[02:30:05]

CNN's Tom Foreman has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Police believe that that O.J. Simpson is in that car.

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For two hours over 60 miles, almost 30 years ago, the low speed pursuit of an American icon became an American sensation.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People were leaving their homes and their work and where they were, and they were racing to these its overpasses.

FOREMAN: And when the white Broncos stopped for O.J. Simpson to face murder charges over the killing of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown, and Ronald Goldman, the country was hooked.

CARI CHAMPION, SPORTS BROADCASTER: And that was our first introduction into reality TV, and what it looked like, and we were obsessed.

FOREMAN: Simpson was a superstar, a Heisman trophy winner in college. One of the most dazzling running backs in NFL history -- for many Black families, in particular, a runaway success

O.J. SIMPSON, FORMER NFL PLAYER: Nobody does it better than Hertz.

FOREMAN: Juice was a beloved celebrity in commercials and movies.

And yet his role as defendant eclipsed everything else, through 11 months of court proceedings and nonstop media coverage, the nation was captivated by daily debates over DNA evidence, police procedure, and dramatic moments made for TV.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If it doesn't fit, you must acquit.

FOREMAN: When the verdict came down --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not guilty of the crime of murder.

FOREMAN: -- by one estimate, 150 million people watched live, many splitting along racial lines over whether the ruling was just or just wrong.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's just unfair.

FOREMAN: A massive civil suit by the victims' families did not go as well for Simpson and he was ordered to pay tens of millions in damages. He lost his house and Heisman, but kept hundreds of thousands and pension funds.

FRED GOLDMAN, FATHER OF RON GOLDMAN: Our family is grateful for a verdict of responsibility which is all we ever wanted.

FOREMAN: Simpson had future legal problems, too. In 2007, he was arrested after an armed robbery involving sports memorabilia he said was his.

SIMPSON: I'm sorry. I didn't mean to steal anything from anybody and I didn't know I was doing anything illegal.

FOREMAN: He wound up convicted and sentenced to 33 years in prison.

He was paroled in 2017. And through it all, he maintained his innocence in the murders that changed his life and American society, too.

SIMPSON: Right now, I'm at a point in my life where I want to do is spend time with my -- as much time as I can with my children and my friends. I've done my time.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOREMAN (on camera): For the families of the victims, the Browns and the Goldmans, O.J.'s continued presence in the news served as an open wound, a constant reminder to them of the justice they always felt was denied.

Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.

BRUNHUBER: And on that, the family of Ronald Goldman says Simpson's death is a reminder of how long Ron has been gone.

Goldman father Fred, and his district, Kim released a statement that read, quote: The news of Ron's killer passing away is a mixed bag of complicated emotions and reminds us that the journey through grief is not linear. For three decades, we tirelessly pursued justice for Ron and Nicole. And despite a civil judgment and his confession in "If I Did It", the hope for true accountability has ended.

And veteran sportscaster and CNN contributor Bob Costas became friends with Simpson after they worked together at the NBC television network. He says that the height of Simpson's fame, he was, quote, not just admired but beloved. Costas was covering basketball finals on the night of the infamous police slow speed chase in 1994, he says he was told to hand off to NBC's Tom Brokaw for an update on the Simpson story.

Costas tells CNN he visited Simpson in jail and learned that during the chase, Simpson tried to call him from the Bronco. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BOB COSTAS, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: O.J. and Al then as part of small talk, say, we tried to call you from the back of the Bronco and I inquired, why? Why would you call me in that moment? And his statement was they were -- the press was on me not so much about this, but about my whole reputation on my whole life. And in effect, he wanted me to act as a character witness for him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: And Costas also recounted the conversation during that jail visit about the double murder.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COSTAS: He tried eventually as I'm sure he did with others to convince me that he couldn't possibly have done this. Bob, you know me, I wouldn't do this. And if I did it, I'd be smarter than to leave all this evidence behind or however he phrased it. And to everything he said, I just said as gently as I could, well, you're going to have your chance to tell your side of the story in court and you'll be well-represented by capable people.

And as it turned out, that jailhouse visit was the last time I saw or spoke to him.

[02:35:00]

I think he deduced those in his circle of friends who still believed in his innocence. And those who like me reluctantly came to the unavoidable conclusion that much as we would like to hold out a sliver of hope, there was no other conclusion to reach other than that he did it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Up next, a look back at the mass kidnapping that shocked the world. We're visiting Nigeria's Chibok girls ten years after their lives changed forever. That's coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRUNHUBER: We turn now to Nigeria, where in April of 2014, Boko Haram militants stormed of school in north of the country, snatching nearly 300 students, and sparking a global crying to bring back our girls.

Stephanie Busari and CNN's As Equals makes the journey to Chibok to meet some of those who managed to escape and the families of those still missing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEPHANIE BUSARI, CNN SR. EDITOR, AFRICA (voice-over): The road to Chibok, northeastern Nigeria.

Ten years on from the kidnapping of nearly 300 schoolgirls. We've come to meet some of the girls who were taken that night in April 2014 and see how the threat of abduction still shapes children's lives here.

HAUWA ISHAYA, FORMER CHIBOK SCHOOLGIRL KIDNAPPED BY BOKO HARAM: They came from this way.

BUSARI: And there were many cars, many trucks.

ISHAYA: Yes, they had plenty.

BUSARI: Hauwa was just 16 when she was snatched from her boarding school late at night by Boko Haram militants.

ISHAYA: And then they burned the hall for writing exams.

BUSARI: So they burned the hall where you were supposed to write your exams.

ISHAYA: Yeah.

BUSARI: They were really against education that much.

The Islamist group took more than 270 girls into the vast Sambisa forest, though some managed to escape.

Amina, now 27, was also abducted that night, told by Boko Haram leaders that marriage was the only way to avoid repeated abuse by fighters in the camp.

AMINA ALI, FORMER CHIBOK SCHOOLGIRL KIDNAPPED BY BOKO HARAM: They just say they will take us as a slave and then anytime he want to sleep with you, he will sleep with you. And then when he tired of you, he will hand over to someone. So I just think that I better agree to get married to the one person.

BUSARI: She was the first of the Chibok girls to escape after being held in a forest, emerging with her Boko Haram husband, who also fled the group, and their young baby after two years.

Now eight years old, Amina's daughter has faced stigma for being a child of a Boko Haram fighter.

School kidnappings are a shadow that hang over the education system in northern Nigeria, with an estimated 1,700 children abducted from school in the past decade, according to Amnesty International.

Just last month, more than 100 students, some as young as eight, were taken by armed men who stormed their school in Kuriga, Kaduna province.

[02:40:10]

In recent years, criminal gangs have created a kidnapping for ransom industry spanning across the northwest of the country, which successive governments have struggled to grapple with.

OBY EZEKWESILI, CO-CONVENER, BRING BACK OUR GIRLS CAMPAIGN: The failure of governance around the Chibok girls' issue led to an industry of abduction, a society that has scant regard for human life.

BUSARI: Many Nigerian mothers are now too scared to send them to school.

EZEKWESILI: Guess what Chibok girls' tragedy did? It made the mothers feel guilty in their mind that what they did by arguing for education for their daughter was to say, pay with your life in order to be educated.

BUSARI: Fewer than 50 percent of Nigerian girls attend school at a basic education level, according to a UNICEF report, in a country with five percent of the world's children by 2030. The United Nations has said, quote, what happens to children in Nigeria matters significantly to regional and global development.

Back in Chibok, for many mothers, the pain continues a decade on.

Yana's daughter, Rivkatu, was among the Chibok girls stolen from school and remains missing along with 81 others.

BUSARI: Do you believe in your heart?

YANA GALANG, MOTHER OF KIDNAPPED CHIBOK SCHOOLGIRL: Yes.

BUSARI: That she's alive?

GALANG: I believe she's alive. She's my blood and I believe she's alive.

BUSARI: She's kept her daughter's clothes ready for when she returns.

GALANG: This is how we keep it. We always wash the clothes, fold it, and then keep it for almost 10 years now.

BUSARI (voice-over): Never giving up hope, despite the agony she and so many parents in Nigeria have to endure.

Stephanie Busari, CNN, Chibok, Nigeria.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: This report is part of CNN's ongoing series on gender inequality called "As Equals". It's a problem that impacts issues from the climate crisis to conflicts around the world and you can learn more to special interactive session of our website. That's at CNN.com/asequals.

All right. I'm Kim Brunhuber. I'll be back in about 15 minutes with more CNN NEWSROOM.

"WORLD SPORT" is next.

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