On April 4th, militants from the Islamist group Boko Haram seized at least 276 youngsters from a school in the village of Chibok, in Borno state, in northern Nigeria.
Security forces in Nigeria have started scouring a forest where it's thought hundreds of kidnapped schoolgirls are being held.
Sarah Mathewson from Anti-Slavery International says she's never seen something on this scale:
Protesters outside the Nigerian Embassy in Dublin yesterday
Barack Obama has described the situation as "heartbreaking" and "outrageous", stating that the kidnapping could be "the event that helps to mobilise the entire international community to finally do something against this horrendous organisation".
"We're going to do everything we can to provide assistance to them," he said."In the short term our goal is obviously to help the international community, and the Nigerian government, as a team to do everything we can to recover these young ladies."
In a video released on Monday, Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau threatened to sell the girls "on the market".
Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau appears in the threatening video
However, there are reports some of the girls have been sold in Chad and Cameroon already as brides for as little as €8.50.
Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan is being criticised for his handling of the incident and his speed at which there has been a response.
