US embassy cable - 04ABUJA1724

UNCLAS ABUJA 001724 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR CA/OCS/ACS/AF AND CA/OCS/CI 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: CASC, CVIS 
SUBJECT: HARTY MEETING WITH GON MFA ON CHILD ABDUCTION 
 
 
1.  SUMMARY.  On Monday, September 20, 2004, CA Assistant 
Secretary Maura Harty, Ambassador Campbell, CA Special 
 
SIPDIS 
Assistant, and CONOFF met with GON MFA officials B. A. 
Fadumiyo (Acting Director of Consular and Legal 
Department) and Sani Bala (Deputy Director of Consular 
and Immigration Division).  The purpose of the meeting 
was to discuss child abduction issues and to ask for MFA 
assistance with seven pending child abduction cases in 
Nigeria.  Fadumiyo advised that his office would look 
into the specific cases, but was not swayed on the merits 
of joining the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of 
International Child Abduction.  END SUMMARY 
 
2.  The A/S advised the MFA of the benefits of the Hague 
Convention to both the mother and the father, no matter 
the nationality.  Fadumiyo responded that the rights of 
the father are paramount under GON law unless the mother 
is financially better off than the father.  Even then, 
Fadumiyo expressed his personal opinion that the father 
should carry all rights to the children.  Fadumiyo and 
Bala indicated that families should make informal 
arrangements on child custody, outside the legal system. 
 
3.  If the GON was not open to the Hague Convention, A/S 
Harty asserted, then perhaps the MFA would consider 
negotiating an alternative agreement facilitating 
parental and consular access in child abduction and 
custody cases.  A/S Harty indicated that the U.S. has 
signed Memoranda of Understanding with two Middle East 
countries.  Both MOUs emphasize shared principles and 
establish a framework for consultations and cooperation 
on facilitating parental access. 
 
4.  A/S Harty raised with the MFA seven pending child 
abduction and wrongful retention cases involving 13 
American citizen children.  She pressed the MFA to allow 
the left-behind parents access to their respective 
children, all of whom had been left with relatives when 
the taking parents returned to the United States. 
Fadumiyo agreed to investigate the cases and report his 
findings to the Embassy. 
 
5.  Assistant Secretary Harty has cleared this cable. 
 
ROBERTS