Nigerian Actress Just Gave The Most Riveting Take On The 276 Girls Abducted From Her Country

Now that the abduction of the estimated 276* Nigerian schoolgirls by the extremist group Boko Haram has captivated the international community, it seems like everyone — from media opiners to Hollywood actors to alleged Al Qaeda operatives — has weighed in on the crisis.

But few have a greater connection to the country than actress Stella Damasus. The Nigerian-born movie star is using her public presence to explain the hardships the community is facing, and to show her disgust with all the bystanders who have allowed these girls to remain missing for more than two weeks.

"It shocks me that such a huge crisis is going on, and the world seems to turn a blind eye. It is also very shameful that the same Nigerian government that sent its army and spearheaded the ECOMOG forces during the crisis in Liberia and Sierra Leone cannot handle this terrorist group that's causing so much chaos within its own borders."

As part of the #BringBackOurGirls social media campaign, Damasus questions what will come out of her country's efforts to save the girls. She indicts the government as unable to respond to its people's cries for change, and unwilling to engage in the necessary actions to bring the abducted girls justice.

"Are we to wait until they're killed?...Now these parents have started conducting private searches in heavily-wooded areas. We know they are no match for the terrorist group who are heavily armed, but they are willing to do the unthinkable because the love and the value they have placed on their children. Can we say the same for the Nigerian government?"

Watch the full six minutes to see Damasus' impassioned and informative plea in its entirety.

*Editor's Note: The actual figure of Nigerian schoolgirls who were abducted varies from source to source, but US intelligence estimates that number to be 276.