Lagos:
Here is a timeline of key events that have taken place since more than 200 Nigerian schoolgirls were kidnapped by Boko Haram Islamists.
The extremist sect has carried out bloody attacks on schools, colleges and universities in the past, but the mass abduction is unprecedented.
APRIL 2014
April 14: 276 schoolgirls mostly in their teens are taken from a dormitory by gunmen in Chibok in northeastern Borno state, where the Boko Haram insurgency began five years ago. Dozens of girls jump from trucks taking them into the bush and escape.
April 29: Parents of the girls denounce government "indifference" to the abduction amid reports that they have been sold as wives abroad.
MAY 2014
May 1: Hundreds of desperate parents protest in Chibok, calling for help from the government and foreign countries.
May 2: Police say Boko Haram is holding 223 of the initial 276 girls who were abducted, after 53 managed to escape.
May 4: Another 11 girls are snatched by suspected Boko Haram Islamists in Borno state.
President Goodluck Jonathan accepts help from US President Barack Obama and other world powers.
May 5: Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau, in a video obtained by AFP, claims the kidnapping and threatens to "sell" the girls as "slaves".
US officials say the girls might have been taken to neighbouring countries. Chadian and Cameroonian authorities deny any are in their countries.
May 6: Obama calls the abduction "heartbreaking" and "outrageous", says it is time to act against Boko Haram. He confirms that US experts will help search for the girls.
Al-Azhar, the highest Sunni Muslim authority, says that hurting the girls "totally contradicts the teachings of Islam and its principles of tolerance."
May 7: Police offer 50 million naira (215.000 euros, $300,000) to those who help locate the girls.
Britain and France commit specialists to assist the search, China offers information from satellites and intelligence services.
US First Lady Michelle Obama posts a personal message and photo on Twitter which says: "It's time to #BringBackOurGirls." The tweet goes viral.
May 8: President Jonathan says the kidnapping marks a turning point in battle against the Islamists.
US actress Angelina Jolie blames a "culture of impunity" for the abduction.
May 9: Amnesty International claims Nigerian army was warned of the attack.
May 10: The UN Security Council strongly condemns the abduction and says the kidnappings might constitute "crimes against humanity".
May 12: Boko Haram releases a new video claiming to show the schoolgirls and alleging they converted to Islam. Israel joins the hunt.
The extremist sect has carried out bloody attacks on schools, colleges and universities in the past, but the mass abduction is unprecedented.
APRIL 2014
April 14: 276 schoolgirls mostly in their teens are taken from a dormitory by gunmen in Chibok in northeastern Borno state, where the Boko Haram insurgency began five years ago. Dozens of girls jump from trucks taking them into the bush and escape.
April 29: Parents of the girls denounce government "indifference" to the abduction amid reports that they have been sold as wives abroad.
MAY 2014
May 1: Hundreds of desperate parents protest in Chibok, calling for help from the government and foreign countries.
May 2: Police say Boko Haram is holding 223 of the initial 276 girls who were abducted, after 53 managed to escape.
May 4: Another 11 girls are snatched by suspected Boko Haram Islamists in Borno state.
President Goodluck Jonathan accepts help from US President Barack Obama and other world powers.
May 5: Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau, in a video obtained by AFP, claims the kidnapping and threatens to "sell" the girls as "slaves".
US officials say the girls might have been taken to neighbouring countries. Chadian and Cameroonian authorities deny any are in their countries.
May 6: Obama calls the abduction "heartbreaking" and "outrageous", says it is time to act against Boko Haram. He confirms that US experts will help search for the girls.
Al-Azhar, the highest Sunni Muslim authority, says that hurting the girls "totally contradicts the teachings of Islam and its principles of tolerance."
May 7: Police offer 50 million naira (215.000 euros, $300,000) to those who help locate the girls.
Britain and France commit specialists to assist the search, China offers information from satellites and intelligence services.
US First Lady Michelle Obama posts a personal message and photo on Twitter which says: "It's time to #BringBackOurGirls." The tweet goes viral.
May 8: President Jonathan says the kidnapping marks a turning point in battle against the Islamists.
US actress Angelina Jolie blames a "culture of impunity" for the abduction.
May 9: Amnesty International claims Nigerian army was warned of the attack.
May 10: The UN Security Council strongly condemns the abduction and says the kidnappings might constitute "crimes against humanity".
May 12: Boko Haram releases a new video claiming to show the schoolgirls and alleging they converted to Islam. Israel joins the hunt.
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