Thirty people were dead and 39 others injured in the wake of a suicide bombing in northeastern Nigeria, authorities said Monday.
The explosives were set off by a man and two women at a cinema hall where people had gathered to watch soccer in the small town of Konduga in Borno State, according to reports.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, although it is widely believed the attack was carried out by Islamic extremist group Boko Haram. The northeastern Nigeria-based group, which hopes to establish an Islamic state in the country, views soccer as anti-Islamic and evidence of corrupting Western influence, according to Reuters.
While the president of Nigeria has said the group has been defeated, but it has continued to launch attacks throughout Nigeria. The fighting has now spilled into neighboring countries Chad, Niger, and Cameroon, and displaced nearly 2 million people.
The attack comes as the Nigerian women’s national team faces host nation France for a spot in the knockout stages of the World Cup today. The last time the team made it to the knockout stages was in 1999 before losing to Brazil in the quarterfinals.
ICYMI: #NGA were in great spirits yesterday ahead of their game against hosts #FRA ??@FIFAWWC_NGA | #FIFAWWC pic.twitter.com/M8FklQxSH6
— FIFA Women’s World Cup (@FIFAWWC) June 17, 2019
