Pakistani teen Malala Yousafzai, shot in the head by the Taliban after campaigning for the right to education for girls, promised on Sunday to help free a group of Nigerian schoolgirls abducted by Islamist militants.
Malala met with parents of the more than 200 girls who were kidnapped by the Islamic militant Boko Haram from their school in April. The bold attack drew an international outrcry, including a social media campaign on Twitter featuring the hashtag #BringBackOurGirls.
Some of the parents, gathered on Sunday at a hotel in the Nigerian capital of Abuja, broke down into tears as Malala spoke.
Ms Yousafzai, 17 who was an early backer of the #BringBackOurGirls social media campaign, is expected to seek an audience with President Goodluck Jonathan after the meeting the parents of the Chibok girls.
Her visit to Nigeria takes place almost three months to the day since the abduction of the girls, who were taken by Boko Haram militants from a boarding school in Chibok, in north-east Borno State, on April 14.
The presence of such a high-profile women's rights campaigner is expected to add to the pressure on the Nigerian government, which was accused in the early days of the kidnapping of not doing enough to resolve it.
PROTEST DAY 75...ABDUCTION DAY 90... (PLEASE SHARE)
Our Commitment:
We WILL NOT STOP until we see all Our Girls back home with their families.
Just #BringBackOurGirls now and alive
Just #BringBackOurGirls now and alive
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