2007年VOA标准英语-Gunmen Kill Two in Nigerian Oil City

Gunman shot and killed two family members of a newly appointed state official in the southern Nigerian city of Port Harcourt in the Niger Delta¹. For VOA, Gilbert da Costa reports from Abuja.
 

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="http://www.tingroom.com/upimg/allimg/070726/0849420.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)

Local police commissioner⁵ Felix Ogbaudu says Monday night's attack was politically motivated.
 
"They [new state commissioners] were sworn in yesterday and they went home, they were having lot of merriment at home," he said.  "Shortly after they left, some gunmen got to the place and shot his brother dead. A cousin was hit by the bullets and eventually gave up. So, two of them died yesterday. It was more of a politically motivated attempted assassination⁶; it has nothing to do with militancy⁷. Before they [state officials] were sworn in there was bickering⁸."

Analysts⁹ say the violence has been exacerbated¹⁰ by the use of local gangs used to intimidate¹¹ political opponents.

Port Harcourt is the main city in the oil-rich delta region.  Political violence has increased since the run-up to countrywide elections in April, which were widely condemned¹² as rigged. Some candidates were murdered during the campaign, while others reported dynamite¹³ attacks on their houses and kidnappings of family members.
 
But, the police chief says recent public outcry regarding the violence by some of the region's gang leaders has eased tensions in the state.
 
"Some of the militants have come to realize that the militancy will have to stop," he added.  "One of the leaders in Okrika, Tom Ateke, called his people together and they renounced¹⁴ all the rubbish they have been doing all these while. They want to stop killings¹⁵; they want to stop hostage takings and all of that. So I think they are now prepared to give peace a chance."

Watchdog group Transparency International rates Nigeria as one of the most corrupt¹⁶ countries in the world. Most citizens struggle to get by on less than $2 a day in a country where unemployment is high and arms are freely available.