US embassy cable - 01ABUJA2710

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 002710 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPT FOR INL AND AF 
DEAHQS FOR OFE 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/24/2011 
TAGS: SNAR, NI 
SUBJECT: NDLEA EXHIBITS GREATER DRUG ENFORCEMENT PROWESS 
 
REF: ABUJA 2665 
 
 
 
 
1. Classified by Ambassador Howard F. Jeter for reasons 
1.5(b) and (d). 
 
 
2.(C) Summary:  In two recent meetings with the 
Ambassador, NDLEA Chairman Bello Lafiaji extolled 
the drug enforcement agency's more energetic efforts. 
Drug seizures made thus far already surpass last 
year's totals and the NDLEA stands to receive increased 
resources - both from the Federal government and INL - 
to further fuel the Nigerian war on drugs.  The NDLEA is 
also eager to improve its role in fighting money 
laundering, but is learning its limits in attempting to 
take on crimes beyond the realm of narcotics.  End Summary. 
 
 
3.(U) Ambassador Jeter, accompanied by POLCOUNS, RNLEO 
and DEA Attache, called on NDLEA Chairman Bello Lafiaji 
at NDLEA Headquarters in Lagos October 4.  Also 
participating from the NDLEA were: Special Assistant 
Usman Almali; Coordinator for International Affairs 
Vicent Ossai;  Director for Money Laundering Tony Ray; 
Director for Legal Affairs Femi Oloruntoba; and Director 
for Investigations Aminu Shehu. 
 
 
4.(C) Lafiaji expressed condolences over September 11. 
He he had just returned from an INTERPOL conference in Hungary 
where delegates spent two days discussing ways the 
international law enforcement community can better respond to 
the threat of global terrorism. 
 
 
Money Laundering 
---------------- 
 
 
5.(C) The Ambassador raised USG concerns over Nigeria's 
porous money laundering controls, concerns highlighted by 
Washignton's effort to freeze the assets of 
suspected terrorists around the world.  The FATF had 
"decertified" Nigeria in June, not only for the GON's 
failure to answer a questionnaire on Nigeria's money 
laundering control regime, but for serious deficiencies 
identified by the FATF review committee in Nigeria's 
anti-money laundering performance.  (Comment: Post learned 
October 16 that the GON responded to the FATF belatedly, 
through an August 31 letter from the President's office. 
End Comment). 
 
 
6.(C) Lafiaji acknowledged the FATF's assessment of 
Nigeria's shortcomings in this area.  He pointed to the 
existing anti-drug money laundering law, a 1995 decree, 
and agreed its scope should be expanded to include the many 
other avenues of money laundering in Nigeria (e.g. 
corruption, trafficking in persons, fraud, and arms 
trafficking).  To address this deficiency, the NDLEA has 
drafted revisions to the law, he claimed.  Lafiaji asserted 
the NDLEA should be the lead agency in coordinating 
anti-money laundering activities.  Lafiaji did not agree with 
our suggestion os a centralized agency specifically mandated 
to coordinate and command this effort. 
 
 
NDLEA Operations at Air and Sea Ports 
------------------------------------- 
 
 
7.(C) Applauding the NDLEA for its record seizure of 
cocaine (60 kilograms) from a Brazilian freighter at the 
Lagos sea port August 27, the Ambassador asked if the 
NDLEA had obtained unrestricted port access.  Lafiaji 
confirmed that, shortly after the large cocaine seizure, 
President Obasanjo issued an executive order granting 
the NDLEA unrestricted access to the Lagos ports. 
Lafiaji has already chaired an interagency meeting with the 
Nigerian Port Authority, Customs, Immigration and the State 
Security Service (SSS) to work out the modalities for the 
NDLEA's full operational role at the sea ports. 
 
 
Airports at Abuja, Kano Vulnerable? 
----------------------------------- 
 
 
8.(C) The Chairman stated that traffickers appear to 
targeting airports where drug enforcement efforts are 
less vigorous.  The thrice-weekly British Airways flight 
to London from Abuja and the thrice-weekly KLM flight to 
Amsterdam from Kano appear to have become more attractive 
to traffickers dues to the heightened NDLEA scutiny in 
Lagos.  Neither airport has body x-ray or Itemiser 
equipment to screen passengers and baggage for drugs. 
The first drug seizure in over a year at the Kano 
airport was made on September 26 - 450 grams of cocaine 
injested by a passenger arriving on KLM from Curacao 
(via Amsterdam). This serves as a warning to the NDLEA, 
stated the Chairman, expressing his desire to place 
one of the two new INL-funded Itemisers with the NDLEA 
unit stationed at the Kano Airport. 
 
 
9.(C) The NDLEA has only a "skeletal staff" in Abuja and no 
drug seizures have been made at the capital's airport, which 
is cause for concern, implied Lafiaji.  He plans to bolster 
staffing and would like to install the second new 
Itemiser there. 
 
 
DEA Operational Concerns 
------------------------ 
 
 
10.(C) Ambassador Jeter cited his concern that the NDLEA 
is not sharing enough information on its operations with the 
DEA Lagos office.  As an example, the DEA Attache produced a 
recent letter from the NDLEA reporting on significant drug 
enforcement activity but neglecting some crucial details. 
The DEA Attache also noted that he had not received monthly 
reports of drug seizures and arrests since June.  Defensive 
at first, Chairman Lafiaji instructe his staff to improve its 
information-sharing with DEA. 
 
 
October 10: Lafiaji's Tenure at One Year 
---------------------------------------- 
 
 
11.(C) Lafiaji sought a meeting with the Ambassador in 
Abuja October 10; RNLEO sat in.  Noting that 
he had completed a full year as NDLEA Chairman that very 
day, Lafiaji highlighted several additional drug seizures 
over last week. He also sought our support for his idea that 
NDLEA should coordinate GON anti-money laundering efforts. 
The news he reported included the first drug seizure made in 
Lagos in connection with the South African Airways/Nigerian 
Airways flight to New York -- almost one kilogram of cocaine 
concealed in the clothing of a female Nigerian passenger 
attempting to board the October 5 flight. 
 
 
12.(C) The NDLEA chief also reported another cocaine 
seizure made at the Kano airport on October 8 -- 710 grams 
carried internally by a male passenger also arriving from 
Curacao on KLM via Amsterdam.  The Ambassador congratulated 
Lafiaji on the interdictions but reiterated USG 
concerns over the lack of evenly applied and well coordinated 
anti-money laundering efforts in Nigeria.  A central 
body with the authority (e.g. the Presidency) to command 
disparate GON security agencies is essential to improve 
this situation, Jeter noted.  RNLEO outlined the U.S. system 
which has a central coordinating body and information 
clearhouse (FINCEN) while the various agencies (e.g. DEA, 
FBI, USSS) run their own money laundering and financial 
crimes investigation units. Discussion of this topic 
concluded with Lafiaji agreeing that the NDLEA need lose its 
current focus on drug money laundering with the creation of a 
national centralized authority. 
 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
 
13.(C) When first confronted with our serious money 
laundering concerns following the tragic September 11 
bombings,  Lafiaji seemed determined in our October 5 meeting 
to expand the NDLEA's jurisdiction, howver impractical, by 
placing 
it in the lead of all GON efforts to fight money laundering. 
By October 18, however, his positions seems to have evolved to 
an acceptance that a new federal entity - a la Financial 
Crimes Commission - is needed to coordinate the GON's 
anti-money laundering efforts. 
 
 
14.(C) The NDLEA seems to have improved its interdiction 
efforts considerably, as shown by the increase level of 
heroin and cocaine seized over last year.  All seizures 
made to date seem authentic and we have been able to 
keep closer watch on the statistical reporting.  This is 
particularly noteworthy since we suspect, but have no 
proff, that the NDLEA may have "padded" its CY2000 seizure 
statistics during the last two months of the year.   With new 
sea port access and greater federal resources employed, we 
expect to see additional successes on the drug enforcement 
front in the coming months. 
 
Jeter