Kidnapping
Even though the abductions took place on April 15 it took weeks from the Nigerian government to respond. Instead a hash tag was created on Twitter alerting the international public to the abduction sparking immediate outrage.
During the initial abduction some girls managed to escape running for their lives. Those that escaped described the ordeal as "too terrifying for words," After the first abduction another 8 girls were kidnapped just hours after U.S. President Barack Obama had promised to send officials to assist in the search.
At one point the Boko Haram leader threatened to sell the girls as bride slaves saying 'I Kidnapped Your Girls, I Will Sell Them'. Later the leader of Boko Haram claimed the girls had been converted to Islam and demanded the release of prisoners. Boko Harem then tried to negotiate a swap, the kidnapped girls for prisoners, but was rejected by the Nigerian government.
Weeks after the abduction a video was released by Boko Haram of the girls praying and wearing full length hijabs. A mother of one of the kidnapped girls managed to identify her daughter in the video footage.
International Response
The initial reports brought waves of support from celebrities like Anne Hathaway, Angelina Jolie, Emma Watson and more all the way up to First Lady Michelle Obama who pleaded for the return of the girls in her Mothers Day address. Various public protests have appeared including activists in Chicago who rallied calling for the return of the girls.
Pressure followed when U.S. President Barack Obama sent a team to search for the missing girls. Australia has since implemented bans on Boko Haram based on Australian terrorist laws.
A report by Amnesty International claims that the Nigerian army had 4 hours warning prior to the abduction but failed to act.
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