The Islamic militant organization Boko Haram has released a video that purportedly shows the missing Nigerian schoolgirls.
The video, which was obtained by AFP, shows Boko Haram's leader Abubakar Shekau claiming that the girls have converted to Islam. He says they will not be released until all of the group's prisoners in Nigeria are freed.
In the video, the group of girls can be seen wearing hijabs and chanting in an unknown location. Three of the girls then speak into the camera, Al Jazeera reports. Two of them claim they were Christian and they had converted to Islam, while a third claims she was Muslim before the kidnapping. One of the girls says that they have not been harmed.
AFP journalists who had seen the clip say the girls appear healthy, calm and posing "as if for a school photo."
Around 130 of the Nigerian school girls kidnapped by Boko Haram appear healthy& calm and wearing hijabs in @AFP video #BringBackOurGirls— Helen Percival (@helenpercival84) May 12, 2014
Video shows more than 100 girls sitting in the open. gathered together, almost as if for a school photo @AFP— Guy Jackson (@guyjackson42) May 12, 2014
Nearly 300 schoolgirls were kidnapped from Chibok, in northern Nigeria, by Boko Haram on April 15.
Nigerians grew outraged at a perceived lack of response from their government, which led to a global movement called "Bring Back Our Girls." Millions have voiced their support.
Michelle Obama has publicly spoken about the incident, and the U.S. has agreed to help find the missing girls, sending a team to the embassy in Abuja to provide military and intelligence assistance.