The family members of the abducted girls, who are believed to still be in the hands of Boko Haram, took part in the morning ceremony via internet streams.
Rev. Patrick Mahoney, Director of the Christian Defense Coalition told International Christian Concern in a statement that the event's agenda included "leaving 276 flowers in front of the Embassy, prayers for all the girls, speeches and praying with mothers and family members [of those kidnapped] 'live' from Nigeria..."
"We must stand in the public square and shout with a loud prophetic voice, 'Bring back our girls.' These are not just the daughters of Nigeria but they are our daughters," he said.
Kristopher Keating, Executive director of World Horizons USA, one of the main organisers of the event said "I want to see social media be what we're using, as a vehicle, opening a window for the rest of the world to see what it is that we're doing so that Nigeria might be reformed. But," he warned, "social media alone isn't going to do the job."
Brandi Swindell, Founder and CEO of Stanton Healthcare and an event attendee spoke of the vigil: "As I gather in front of the Nigerian Embassy in prayer and public witness, I stand in solidarity with my sisters across the globe calling upon God for mercy and calling upon the nations of the world to treat all women with equality, human rights and justice....Our message today is clear and simple: bring back our girls!"
A video was obtained by AFP news agency last week in which Boko Haram's militant leader Abubakar Sheka claimed responsibility for the kidnapping and threatened to sell the girls. Roughly 50 of the abducted girls from Chibok were dressed in Islamic hijabs and citing Quran'ic passages.
Boko Haram is an extremist Islamic group which has caused over 1,500 deaths across Nigeria so far this year.