Blind to bloodshed

THE militants came early in the morning, surrounding the Nigerian village of Baga. They killed the men, sending soldiers and civilians running for their lives. Among them was Yakaka Abubakar and her three children, who fled across the border to Niger. “The fighters ordered the women to leave the village after they burned it,” she recounted. “Everywhere were dead bodies of men, women and even children.”

It is hard to tell how many people died. Amnesty International, a lobby group, cited reports that “as many as 2,000 civilians were killed”; the army, which often underestimates casualties, belatedly claimed the real figure was 150. Satellite pictures suggest widespread destruction. The attack on January 3rd may be the bloodiest yet by Boko Haram, a jihadist group that has taken over swathes of north-eastern Nigeria.

What is clear, though, is that despite the horror, Nigeria’s rulers treat the war with indifference. President Goodluck Jonathan was quick to condemn the “monstrous” terrorist attack against Charlie Hebdo in Paris. But as The Economist went to press, he had not uttered a word about Baga. *

His lieutenants argue that he cannot speak out because details of the attack are still hazy (it took the army more than a week to give a casualty figure amid international furore). Others note that atrocities like these happen on a near-daily basis. Baga is far from being unique.

But there may be more cynical motives, too. Nigeria is due to hold elections on February 14th. Talking about the siege would draw attention to the government’s failure to curb the insurgents. The issue is particularly sensitive because Mr Jonathan, a southerner, is standing against a northern former army general, Muhammadu Buhari, who is tough on security.

The race is the tightest in the history of Nigerian civil rule. The main parties politicise the insurgency, hurling mutual accusations of incompetence and complicity. But for the moment the government seems more concerned with winning the election than with forming and financing a coherent anti-insurgency strategy.

Things are likely to get worse with the approach of the elections, often a time of violence in Nigeria. Some civil-rights activists worry that already-stretched army forces will be withdrawn from the northeast—either to protect polling stations around the country, or to help stuff the ballot boxes.

* Editor’s Note: After The Economist went to press, a press release from Mr Jonathan’s office said the president had made a surprise visit to Maiduguri on January 15^th, nearly a fortnight after the attack on Baga, to hail the bravery of Nigerian troops and commiserate with a group of 900 displaced residents from Baga. He promised that the federal government would “strive to make their stay in the camps more comfortable” and act to restore stability. “I know that many of your houses have been destroyed. We will assist you financially so that you can rebuild your homes and return to them gradually,” he declared. This article has been amended to state the date of the attack on Baga.