2007年VOA标准英语-Nigerian Militants Threaten More Violence as Co

By Gilbert da Costa
Abuja
08 June 2007

The Nigerian Supreme¹ Court has rejected a request for bail² for a jailed Niger Delta³ militant⁴ leader currently facing treason charges. For VOA, Gilbert da Costa in Abuja reports that his supporters have vowed⁵ to intensify⁶ their violent campaign in the oil-rich region.

Mujahid Dokubo-Asari (file photo)

A five-man panel of Nigeria's highest court, said it was convinced that militant leader Mujahid Dokubo-Asari is a threat to national security and cannot be granted bail.

The Supreme Court supported earlier decisions by two lower courts to deny Asari bail over security fears.

Festus Keyamo, attorney for the detained militant leader, challenged the verdict and accused the Supreme Court of acting⁷ well beyond its reach.

"We totally disagree with the reasoning that led to that judgment⁸," he said. "The Supreme Court went beyond the frontiers of the appeal. What was before the Supreme Court did not include those issues that they included in their judgment. The Supreme Court was scavenging for reasons to support the decision of the Court of Appeal and in an appeal, you don't scavenge for reasons, you restrict yourself to the reasons given by the Court of Appeal."

Several armed groups responsible for attacks on oil facilities and workers have demanded the release of Asari, who has been detained since September 2005.

A supporter of the detained militant leader, who gave his name as Prince Charles, told VOA the continued detention⁹ of Asari can only lead to increased tensions in the region.

"In fact this will aggravate¹⁰ it the more," he said. "I believe we are coming on Wednesday for the high court again, after Wednesday, if they don't release him, I am betting you, I'm betting you, you will live to hear that atrocities¹¹ are happening in the Niger Delta. The present president, so-called Yar'Adua, will have it hot in this state. We will not relent; we will fight with our last drop of blood."

The new governors of Nigeria's three main oil-producing states, Rivers, Bayelsa and Delta, have also called for the release of Asari.

More than 1,000 foreigners have been taken hostage in the region since January. Most of them were freed after their employers paid ransom¹².

Asari is due in court next Wednesday for the continuation of his trial.

1 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

2 bail   

v.舀（水），保释；n.保证金，保释，保释人

参考例句：

• One of the prisoner's friends offered to bail him out.犯人的一个朋友答应保释他出来。
• She has been granted conditional bail.她被准予有条件保释。

3 delta   

n.（流的）角洲

参考例句：

• He has been to the delta of the Nile.他曾去过尼罗河三角洲。
• The Nile divides at its mouth and forms a delta.尼罗河在河口分岔，形成了一个三角洲。

4 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

5 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

6 intensify   

vt.加强；变强；加剧

参考例句：

• We must intensify our educational work among our own troops.我们必须加强自己部队的教育工作。
• They were ordered to intensify their patrols to protect our air space.他们奉命加强巡逻，保卫我国的领空。

7 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

8 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

9 detention   

n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下

参考例句：

• He was kept in detention by the police.他被警察扣留了。
• He was in detention in connection with the bribery affair.他因与贿赂事件有牵连而被拘留了。

10 aggravate   

vt.加重(剧)，使恶化；激怒，使恼火

参考例句：

• Threats will only aggravate her.恐吓只能激怒她。
• He would only aggravate the injury by rubbing it.他揉擦伤口只会使伤势加重。

11 atrocities   

n.邪恶，暴行( atrocity的名词复数 )；滔天大罪

参考例句：

• They were guilty of the most barbarous and inhuman atrocities. 他们犯有最野蛮、最灭绝人性的残暴罪行。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The enemy's atrocities made one boil with anger. 敌人的暴行令人发指。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

12 ransom   

n.赎金，赎身；v.赎回，解救

参考例句：

• We'd better arrange the ransom right away.我们最好马上把索取赎金的事安排好。
• The kidnappers exacted a ransom of 10000 from the family.绑架者向这家人家勒索10000英镑的赎金。