A suicide bomber on a tricycle taxi detonated explosives in an outdoor World Cup viewing center in Damaturua, Nigeria, killing at least 14 people and injuring at least 26 more. The BBC reported that a source informed them that the blast killed 21 people.
The bomber is suspected of being a member of Boko Haram, the Islamist group terrorizing the country that recently seized 250 Christian schoolgirls hostage, although the terrorist group has not yet claimed responsibility. The taxi entered the viewing center after the Brazil-Mexico match was underway, according to witnesses, who preferred to remain anonymous so they wouldn’t be targeted.
Hospital officials in Damaturu, the capital of Yobe state, said it is likely the death toll will rise. Police Assistant Superintendent Nathan Cheghan said that rescue workers had to be cautious because Boko Haram typically has a second bomb prepared to kill those who arrive at the bomb blast after the initial explosion.
This is not the first time Islamic terrorists have targeted crowds watching the World Cup. In 2010 in Uganda, Al-Shabab, a Somail Islamist terrorist group, exploded bombs at two separate viewing locations for the World Cup that killed 74 people. Warnings have been issued that Islamist groups might target the viewing crowds in Nigeria, Kenya, and Uganda.
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