Nigeria’s police on Wednesday
advised football fans to stay away from public
venues showing World Cup matches after a
bomb attack killed at least 21 in the north of
the country.
“As a first choice, we are advising Nigerians to
actually avoid these viewing centres as much as
possible,” national police spokesman Frank
Mba told AFP from the capital Abuja.
Instead, Mba said the advice was to watch the
tournament instead with family or friends.
A bomb, thought to have been hidden in a
motorised rickshaw, exploded outside a
viewing centre in the state capital of
northeastern Yobe state, Damaturu, on Tuesday
night.
At least 21 people were killed, according to a
medical source, although state police put the
death toll lower at 14.
Previous deadly attacks on big screen venues
in Nigeria blamed on Boko Haram militants
have prompted at least two states to close
such centres on security grounds.
Mba said individual states were within their
rights to order closures but police were
working with centre operators and local
agencies to improve security, particularly in
the restive north.
Advice includes better searches of customers,
increased vigilance from locals as well as
creating pedestrian-only zones between 50 and
100 metres (yards) from venues to prevent car
bomb attacks, he said.
“We’re not calling for a total proscription. We
would rather as a first choice sensitise and
educate the public so they can take informed
decisions,” Mba added.
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