In the dead of night on April 14, agents of the terroristic organization Boko Haram broke into a government school in Chibok, Nigeria, shooting the school guards and killing one soldier. 276 school girls were kidnapped during the incident. The Boko Haram organization practices a type of Islam that outlaws anything other than fundamental Islamic law, and they claim that westernization of Nigeria is to blame for the increasing crime rates. Their goal is to overthrow the Nigerian presidential system that is currently in place and establish an Islamic state. Their name derives from the Arabic word for sin and other acts prohibited by Allah, “Haram” and a Hausa word, “Boko” that refers to the attempted brainwashing of African people by white leadership. The Boko Haram group has targeted several schools since 2010, killing hundreds of students.

Around 50 girls have escaped from the fortified camps which they were held, and many have begun to recount their stories. The girls that escaped managed to survive against all odds: some dodged gunfire, while others hid overnight in trees. The girls are still afraid for their life.

A video depicting around 100 of the kidnapped girls praying in Islamic garb was revealed on Tuesday, May 13. In the video, Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau identifies himself, and claims that he will release the girls in exchange for captured members of his organization. Nigeria’s interior minister has decided that the country will not support a trade.