NIGERIA: Nigeria's military reveal plans for heightened security at football viewing centres in the northern part of the country during the World Cup

Record ID: 236798

  • Title: NIGERIA: Nigeria's military reveal plans for heightened security at football viewing centres in the northern part of the country during the World Cup
  • Date: 12th June 2014
  • Summary: ABUJA, NIGERIA (JUNE 11, 2014) (REUTERS) MILITARY OFFICIALS SEATED AT PRESS BRIEFING VARIOUS OF JOURNALISTS SEATED VARIOUS OF NIGERIAN POLICE SPOKESMAN, FRANK MBA, SEATED NEWS CONFERENCE BEGINNING (SOUNDBITE) (English) NIGERIAN POLICE SPOKESMAN, FRANK MBA, SAYING: "Owners of viewing centres have been advised and are still being advised to take go the extra miles of trying to secure their viewing centres. We expect persons who are operating large viewing centres to establish synergies with local security officials within their areas. It could be the police, it could be the DSS [Department of State Services], it could be any other security agency within the area. We expect them to have a working relationship." JOURNALISTS FILMING MBA JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (English) NIGERIAN POLICE SPOKESMAN, FRANK MBA, SAYING: "Individuals who wants to visit viewing centres are expected to actually exercise a lot of caution. We expect them to be vigilant and we equally expect that when you are going to viewing centres you are not expected to come there with large bags and so, if I operate a viewing centre, I'm going to make a rule that says persons coming in, into my viewing centre will not be allowed to come in with handbags for example. I will equally expect to make common rules that will require proper searching of persons at a certain perimeter before they step into my viewing centre." JOURNALISTS SEATED NEWS CONFERENCE ENDING
  • Embargoed: 27th June 2014 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Nigeria
  • Country: Nigeria
  • Topics: Crime,Politics,Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA8ALK8CY0F9T830IHD48OHFUUU
  • Story Text: Nigeria's military on Wednesday (June 11) revealed plans to increase security at various football viewing centres in the northern part of the country during the World Cup.
    Attacks targeting screening venues have already started ahead of the tournament in Brazil.
    Two weeks ago, a bomb blast targeting a television viewing centre for football in northeast Nigeria killed at least 14 people and wounded 12.
    The week before that, a suicide bomber set out to strike an open-air viewing of a football match in the central city of Jos, but his car blew up before reaching the target, killing three people.
    Although there was no claim of responsibility for the blasts, Islamist militant group Boko Haram, whose struggle for an Islamic state is concentrated in the northeast, was the prime suspect.
    Nigerian police spokesman, Frank Mba advised owners of viewing centres to work closely with the authorities in their state.
    "Owners of viewing centres have been advised and are still being advised to take go the extra miles of trying to secure their viewing centres. We expect persons who are operating large viewing centres to establish synergies with local security officials within their areas. It could be the police, it could be the DSS [Department of State Services], it could be any other security agency within the area. We expect them to have a working relationship," he said.
    Across Nigeria's northeast, fans are already scared and making plans on how to take responsibility for their own security by going to friends' houses or just missing matches.
    Nigeria has seen an increasingly bold series of assaults over the past five years by the Islamist militant group Boko Haram, including the kidnapping of more than 200 schoolgirls in April.
    Mba said residents in northern Nigeria need to be cautious.
    "Individuals who wants to visit viewing centres are expected to actually exercise a lot of caution. We expect them to be vigilant and we equally expect that when you are going to viewing centres you are not expected to come there with large bags and so, if I operate a viewing centre, I'm going to make a rule that says persons coming in, into my viewing centre will not be allowed to come in with handbags for example. I will equally expect to make common rules that will require proper searching of persons at a certain perimeter before they step into my viewing centre," he said.
    Soldiers in a Nigerian state at the heart of an Islamist revolt shut down all venues preparing to screen live World Cup matches on Wednesday, saying they wanted to protect fans from militant attacks.
    A spate of assaults on often ramshackle television viewing centres across Africa has raised fears militant groups could target supporters gathering to cheer on the global football contest.
    Authorities have issued warnings about going to the venues in Kenya, Nigeria, and in Uganda, where memories are still fresh of bomb attacks on two centres that killed at least 74 people watching the last World Cup final.
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