2007年VOA标准英语-Nigeria Police Chief Orders Crackdown on Kidnap

By Gilbert da Costa
Abuja
11 July 2007

Nigeria's police chief Mike Okiro has ordered police commanders in the troubled Niger Delta¹ to crack down on gangs responsible for kidnappings in the region. For VOA, Gilbert da Costa reports security forces have proved ineffective in halting attacks in the delta.

Militants2 wearing black masks, military fatigues3 and carrying Kalashnikov assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenade launchers patrol the creeks4 of the Niger Delta area of Nigeria (File)" hspace="2" src="/upimg/allimg/070712/1120490.jpg" width="210" vspace="2" border="0" />

Militants wearing black masks, military fatigues and carrying Kalashnikov assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenade launchers patrol the creeks of the Niger Delta area of Nigeria (File)

More than 200 foreign workers have been kidnapped in Nigeria's main oil producing south since January 2006. At least 16 are being held and several foreign nationals have fled the region.

Nigeria's police chief Mike Okiro wants his senior commanders to clamp down on kidnappers⁵.

"The spate⁶ of hostage-taking is a worrisome phenomenon, most especially in the Niger Delta ... the Niger Delta is known for that," he said. "You will find out that this is no longer political, it is economic, it is a crime per se."

"We will not allow that criminality to go on. So if you are in the area, mobilize your men to make sure that this idea of kidnapping and hostage taking is fought down. They are criminals. When they need money they go and kidnap people and ask for ransom⁷. We want to make sure that does not happen," he added.

Thousands of soldiers and policemen have been deployed⁸ in force in the Niger Delta to secure the region, but there are now signs that the criminal gangs are being halted.

Bare-Ara Kpala, a resident of the main oil city of Port Harcourt, where most of the recent violence has been centered, told VOA that the poorly-equipped police are having a difficult time quelling⁹ the violence and kidnapping.

"The police in Nigeria appear not to be well organized," said Kpala. "I wonder how they can effectively respond to the situation, especially as it relates to stopping kidnappings. Those who are involved in the kidnappings appear to know the terrain¹⁰ more than the police; they appear to be well organized more than the police; they appear to be well-equipped and had done their survey, whatever, better than the police."

Nigeria's oil production has been reduced more than 20 percent because of these attacks.

1 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。

2 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

3 fatigues   

n.疲劳( fatigue的名词复数 )；杂役；厌倦；（士兵穿的）工作服

参考例句：

• The patient fatigues easily. 病人容易疲劳。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Instead of training the men were put on fatigues/fatigue duty. 那些士兵没有接受训练，而是派去做杂务。 来自辞典例句

4 creeks   

n.小湾( creek的名词复数 )；小港；小河；小溪

参考例句：

• The prospect lies between two creeks. 矿区位于两条溪流之间。 来自辞典例句
• There was the excitement of fishing in country creeks with my grandpa on cloudy days. 有在阴雨天和姥爷一起到乡村河湾钓鱼的喜悦。 来自辞典例句

5 kidnappers   

n.拐子，绑匪( kidnapper的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They were freed yesterday by their kidnappers unharmed. 他们昨天被绑架者释放了，没有受到伤害。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The kidnappers had threatened to behead all four unless their jailed comrades were released. 帮匪们曾经威胁说如果印度方面不释放他们的同伙，他们就要将这四名人质全部斩首。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 spate   

n.泛滥，洪水，突然的一阵

参考例句：

• Police are investigating a spate of burglaries in the area.警察正在调查这一地区发生的大量盗窃案。
• Refugees crossed the border in full spate.难民大量地越过了边境。

7 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。

8 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

9 quelling   

v.（用武力）制止，结束，镇压( quell的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Quelling her grief, she said 'Good-bye! 'again and went on. 她把悲痛压下去，二番说了一声再见，又转身走去了。 来自辞典例句
• The police succeeded in quelling the riot. 警方把暴乱镇压了下去。 来自辞典例句

10 terrain   

n.地面，地形，地图

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• He knows the terrain of this locality like the back of his hand.他对这一带的地形了如指掌。