VOA标准英语10月-Nigerian Attorney Criticizes Detention of US-Base

The Nigerian lawyer for U.S.-based blogger, Jonathan Elendu, has called for the secret police to either charge him in court or free him immediately. Elendu has been held since October 18, when the Nigerian State Security Service arrested him at the Abuja airport upon arrival from the United States, where he lives. Gilbert da Costa reports for VOA from Abuja.

Lagos-based human-rights lawyer Festus Keyamo is leading the campaign for Jonathan Elendu's release from secret police custody¹. He says he will challenge Elendu's continued detention² in court.

The blogger, who is being investigated for acts of sedition³ following his reports about corruption⁴, politics and the Niger Delta⁵, has not been allowed to see his lawyer, doctor or close relatives.

Under Nigerian law, suspects are to be charged within 24 hours. Keyamo says he was disappointed his client has yet to have his day in court, more than a week after his arrest.

"It is very, very condemnable," he said. "It is absolutely unacceptable. It is democratically wrong. It is legally unconstitutional for them to keep him this long without affording him the opportunity to present himself in court. I condemn⁶ it totally and entirely⁷."

The arrest and deportation⁸ of two foreign journalists for reporting in the restive⁹ oil-rich Niger Delta and the closure of a television station and the arrest of other reporters have raised questions about freedom of speech and the press in Nigeria.

Keyamo says Elendu's detention was a deliberate act to intimidate¹⁰ the press in Nigeria and warned there could be difficult days ahead.

"I suspect that this regime may be very hard on the press. And the earlier we begin to confront the regime regarding its position on the press, the better for us," he said.

Nigerian security officials say Elendu's detention followed legal procedures, and that his publications were a threat to national security.

1 custody   

n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留

参考例句：

• He spent a week in custody on remand awaiting sentence.等候判决期间他被还押候审一个星期。
• He was taken into custody immediately after the robbery.抢劫案发生后，他立即被押了起来。

2 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。

3 sedition   

n.煽动叛乱

参考例句：

• Government officials charged him with sedition.政府官员指控他煽动人们造反。
• His denial of sedition was a denial of violence.他对煽动叛乱的否定又是对暴力的否定。

4 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

5 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。

6 condemn   

vt.谴责，指责；宣判(罪犯)，判刑

参考例句：

• Some praise him,whereas others condemn him.有些人赞扬他，而有些人谴责他。
• We mustn't condemn him on mere suppositions.我们不可全凭臆测来指责他。

7 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

8 deportation   

n.驱逐，放逐

参考例句：

• The government issued a deportation order against the four men.政府发出了对那4名男子的驱逐令。
• Years ago convicted criminals in England could face deportation to Australia.很多年以前，英国已定罪的犯人可能被驱逐到澳大利亚。

9 restive   

adj.不安宁的，不安静的

参考例句：

• The government has done nothing to ease restrictions and manufacturers are growing restive.政府未采取任何措施放松出口限制,因此国内制造商变得焦虑不安。
• The audience grew restive.观众变得不耐烦了。

10 intimidate   

vt.恐吓，威胁

参考例句：

• You think you can intimidate people into doing what you want?你以为你可以威胁别人做任何事？
• The first strike capacity is intended mainly to intimidate adversary.第一次攻击的武力主要是用来吓阻敌方的。