A vigil was held in Madrid in May 2014 on behalf of the schoolgirls that were kidnapped by Boko Haram.
The Islamic extremist group Boko Haram and the Nigerian government have agreed to a ceasefire on Friday, Nigerian officials announced. Reports say that they may be considering the release of the over 200 schoolgirls that had been abducted by Boko Haram back in May.
It seems that specific terms have not been agreed upon as of yet in regards to the girls. Hassan Tukur, the Nigerian President's aide, allegedly announced that there was an agreement for the schoolgirls' release, but Major General Chris Olukolade, the Nigerian Defense Ministry spokesman, said that they were still negotiating terms and a solid agreement has not been reached, according to reports. Hence, whether the girls will indeed be released still seems uncertain for now.
Mike Omeri, the government spokesman on issues with Boko Haram, assured the public that "the schoolgirls and all other people in their captivity are all alive and well."
In the past, Boko Haram had demanded Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan to release their fellow militants from prison in exchange for the release of the schoolgirls. Jonathan had repeatedly refused to do so despite international pressures to increase efforts for the girls' release.
A social media campaign, using #BringBackOurGirls, has been spreading awareness of the plight of the schoolgirls and increasing pressures on the Nigerian government to work for their release. The campaign has been successful in receiving attention, as even public figures such as Michelle Obama has participated in the campaign, tweeting, "Our prayers are with the missing Nigerian girls and their families. It's time to #BringBackOurGirls." According to the Washington Post, more than 3.3 million tweets with the hashtag had been posted.
Other than the kidnapping of these girls, Boko Haram has been garnering attention and criticism internationally as a result of their violence to schools, churches, and other public spaces. According to Jonathan, 13,000 civilians have died as a result of the violence, and many others have fled from their homes to escape from the destruction.
