Boko Haram ramps up attacks ahead of Nigerian elections

The Islamic extremist group Boko Haram intensified attacks in northern Nigeria and in towns on the border with Chad in recent weeks, threatening to derail the Nigerian elections scheduled for Feb. 14.

On Sunday, the Islamic militants staged a bold attack against Maiduguri, a town of about 2 million residents and the capitol of Borno state. Nigerian troops reportedly repelled the attack and killed hundreds of militants. But the offensive, staged from four sides of the city, shows the group’s strength and the threat it poses to Nigeria’s stability.

Sunday’s attack comes on the heels of what may be Boko Haram’s deadliest attack in five years. In the shocking early January spree, the militants razed 16 or more villages, including Baga, leaving 2,000 people unaccounted for and feared dead. Not long after, the terrorists raided at least seven villages in Adamawa, killing more than 40 people.

In spite of pleas from local lawmakers, no Nigerian troops rallied to fight the militants in Adamawa.

“They slaughtered people like rams and they burned down our houses after looting food,” resident Emmanuel Kwache said. “There’s no presence of troops, some residents are hiding on top of hills, while those that could not run were abducted, particularly youths and women.”

Nigeria’s neighbors are trying to help. On Thursday, Chad’s military drove Boko Haram out of one border town using ground troops and warplanes. The next day, The African Union announced a plan to send 7,500 troops to fight Boko Haram.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) said the Islamic militants already control more than 130 Nigerian villages and towns, and continue to violently seize more. It estimated Boko Haram killed 3,750 civilians in 2014 alone. Human rights activists say the group has killed more than al-Qaeda or ISIS in the Middle East, although the crisis in Nigeria doesn’t get as much attention. The group has even used at least one kidnapped schoolgirl as a suicide bomber.

Boko Haram’s reign of terror also has created a refugee crisis. Hundreds of thousands have fled the assaults, and some estimate 1.5 million people have been displaced. In Yola, refugees outnumber its 400,000 residents, and there aren’t enough resources to care for all of them, The Guardian reported.

Although the military repelled the Maiduguri attack, it’s not likely to be the last time the group tries to take what would be a major prize. People who fled to Maiduguri from surrounding villages in the last few weeks said Boko Haram militants warned “there will be no mercy” if they do take control of the city.

“They kept saying … we can all run into the big grave they are preparing for us in Maiduguri,” said Aishatu Ba’malum, who fled from Monguno, a town in the northeast.

The instability caused by Boko Haram is sure to impact the presidential and parliamentary elections just weeks away.

“With elections around the corner, citizens should ensure that Nigeria’s human rights challenges are at the center of the political discourse,” said Mausi Segun, HRW’s Nigeria researcher. “Unmitigated violence is a threat to the nation’s stability and to the well-being of all Nigerians, not just those in the north.”

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry recently met with Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan and his opponent, Muhammadu Buhari. Kerry promised more support to fight Boko Haram if the elections are peaceful and democratic.

In spite of the attacks, Christian say the gospel is still being spread in Nigeria.

“The northeastern corner of Nigeria where Boko Haram has wielded most of its activities remains a difficult area for believers to freely worship and share their faith,” a Christian worker told Baptist Press. “However, God has raised up believers who have remained steadfast and bold in the midst of applied pressures to silence them.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.