A tricycle taxi packed with explosives was detonated by an unknown suicide bomber at an outdoor World Cup viewing center killing at least 13 people and seriously wounding at least 20 other people in the capital city of Yobe state, Damaturu.
This happened while a World Cup soccer game between Brazil and Mexico was being watched in an open-viewing center by Nigerian fans held in Brazil Tuesday night.
A Northeastern Nigerian terrorist group named Boko Haram claims to have done the bombing. Founded by Mohammed Yusuf in 2002, this group seeks to establish a "pure" Islamic state and have been known for attacking churches, schools and even police stations. They want to put an end to what it deems Westernization.
Damaturu Police Assistant Superintendent Nathan Cheghan confirmed of the explosion and hospital workers said that the death toll will likely to rise as casualties are still coming.
There have been two other explosions in the past weeks that have killed at least 40 people in two Northern cities of Nigeria that were showing the World Cup. This prompted locale officials to increase their police force and even prompted some establishments to close their viewing centers of the World Cup.
In November of last year, the United States government has designated Boko Haram as a terrorist organization and the United Nations Security Council added the group to its list of designated al-Qaeda entities, bringing "funding, travel and weapon sanctions" against terrorist groups, in May 22, 2014.
Human Rights watch claims that Boko Haram use child soldiers, including 12-year-olds and during the period of 2009 and beginning of 2012, Boko Haram was responsible for over 900 deaths.
Niger State governor said, "Islam is known to be a religion of peace and does not accept violence and crime in any form" and that the Boko Haram does not represent Islam.