US embassy cable - 01ABUJA3232

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 003232 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PTER, NI 
SUBJECT: NIGERIA: 2001 ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT 
 
REF: STATE 198912 
 
 
Classified by Ambassador Howard F. Jeter. Reasons 1.5 (b) and 
(d). 
 
 
1. (U)   Post provides the following input for the 2001 
Annual Terrorism Report.  The information is keyed to the 
questions asked in reftel: 
 
 
A. (U)  Civilian rule returned to Nigeria with the 
inauguration of Olusegun Obasanjo as President in May 1999. 
Since his inauguration, President Obasanjo has pursued an 
active international agenda commensurate with Nigeria's 
estimation of its role as a leader in both continental and 
world affairs.  As such, Nigeria has established a balanced 
foreign policy that coincides with USG interests in many 
important aspects. 
 
 
(U)  Nowhere has the convergence of interests been more 
visible than with regard to terrorism.  President Obasanjo's 
government was among the first to send condolences after the 
September 11 attacks.  More importantly, Nigeria has 
steadfastly and publicly lent its diplomatic support to 
Coalition efforts against the Taliban and Al Queda despite 
the domestic political ramifications of being home to 
Africa's largest Muslim population. The GON has expressed 
support for UN Resolutions 1267, 1333 and 1368 and has 
initiated legislative and regulatory steps to shore up its 
anti-money laundering regime in order to fight terrorism. The 
New Economic Partnership for African Development (NEPAD), a 
new organization founded by Obasanjo and other African Heads 
of State, has condemned terrorism and called for concrete 
measures to be taken by African nations to combat the 
scourge. Nigeria is signatory to three UN counter-terrorism 
conventions and is reviewing other UN conventions with the 
view of acceding to these instruments. 
 
 
(U)  Nigeria also has taken on a leading role in making 
counter- terrorism an important issue in West Africa, the 
sub-region where Nigeria's diplomatic and political influence 
is most pronounced.  President Obasanjo participated actively 
in the Conference on Terrorism hosted by Senegalese President 
Wade in Dakar this October.  Nigeria has also been 
instrumental in placing terrorism high on the agenda of the 
December 2001 ECOWAS Heads of State Summit in Dakar. 
 
 
B.  (U)  There were no cases of thwarted terrorist attempts 
or of the dissolution of terrorist cells during the year. 
 
 
C.  (U)  Judiciary:  There have been no known acts of 
terrorism nor criminal prosecutions of terrorists during the 
year. While current criminal law does not contain many 
specific anti- terrorism provisions, the penal code does 
proscribe acts of violence, which includes terrorism. Because 
President Obasanjo has given terrorism a high priority, the 
GON is moving quickly to draft improved terrorism 
legislation.  Likewise, the judiciary probably would 
prosecute diligently any cases of terrorism and would 
cooperate with the USG in prosecution despite some of the 
institutional shortcomings of the judiciary, i.e. 
understaffing, corruption, lack of equipment, large caseloads 
and inadequate pay. 
 
 
D.  (U)  Extradition: The GON did not extradite any suspected 
terrorists or request extradition of any terrorists during 
the year. 
 
 
E. (U)  Possible Impediments to Prosecution/ Extradition: 
There are no  known  legal impediments to prosecution or 
extradition of suspected terrorists.  However, members of 
both the police force and the judiciary have been susceptible 
to corruption in the past. Given the high-level GON focus on 
counter-terrorism, it would be difficult for corrupt 
practices to impede the prosecution or extradition of any 
high visibility cases. 
 
 
F. (U)  Other Responses: The GON has drafted legislation, the 
Anti-Terrorism, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Act, 
containing explicit criminal sanctions against both terrorism 
and its financing. Not only does the Act expressly prohibit 
terrorism, it establishes an inter-agency commission with the 
mandate to coordinate GON anti-terrorist activities.  In view 
of Nigeria's importance as an oil exporter (Nigeria accounts 
for ten percent of U.S. imports), the establishment of the 
Niger Delta Security Commission (NDSC) protects important 
American and other foreign economic interests in Nigeria. 
The NDSC's mission is to enhance the security of oil 
installations against possible terrorist attacks. 
 
 
(U)  The GON, through the Nigerian Central Bank, has made 
efforts to identify any terrorist financial assets in 
Nigeria. Thus far, none has been identified.  Toward the 
later part of the year, Nigeria also began to work with the 
Financial Action Task Force to strengthen its overall 
anti-money laundering regime. 
 
 
G.  (U)  International Fora: The GON gave clear diplomatic 
support in the UN and within ECOWAS to the counter-terrorism. 
President Obasanjo lent his support and prestige to President 
Wade's October Conference on Terrorism.  Obasanjo also worked 
to include anti-terrorism as a major aspect of the New 
Economic Partnership for African Development (NEPAD), the new 
institution which merges the pan-African development plans of 
Presidents Wade and Mbeki. 
 
 
H.  (U)  The GON does not support international terrorism or 
terrorists. The GON clearly and repeatedly has condemned 
terrorism, followed up by concrete actions. However, some 
individuals in Nigeria and private groups here have ties to 
and perhaps receive funding from sources in Sudan, Iran, 
Pakistan and Libya.  It is possible that some of these 
individuals or groups may have indirect links with extremist 
or terrorist organizations. 
There has been one unconfirmed press report of a Nigerian 
national fighting for the 
Taliban/Al Queda in Afghanistan. The GON does not condone any 
such ties to terrorist groups. 
 
 
(C) One of the September 11 terrorist hijacker's passport 
contained a Nigerian visa and entry and exit stamps.  The 
Nigerian security services have informed us privately that 
the passport entries were forgeries probably obtained from a 
Nigerian criminal organization based outside the country. 
 
 
I. (U)  Public Statements: The GON has made no public 
statements supporting terrorism or any terrorist group.  All 
GON statements have been against terrorism and supportive of 
the Coalition against the Taliban and Al Queda.  Following a 
November 2 meeting in Washington with President Bush, 
President Obasanjo told a press conference that Nigeria 
considered itself a member of the anti-terrorism Coalition. 
 
 
J. (U)  Change In Posture: As a result of September 11, the 
GON has been more vocal in its opposition to terrorism. 
 
 
K. (U)  Bilateral Cooperation: The Central Bank of Nigeria 
(CBN) responded quickly to USG requests to identify and 
freeze terrorist assets if found in Nigeria.  The CBN issued 
a Call Circular requiring all banks to identify any terrorist 
entities listed in Executive Order 13224.  The CBN has 
amended the list several times to reflect USG additions. 
Although no assets have been found to date, the CBN requires 
the banks to continuously monitor accounts.  The CBN also has 
implemented stricter customer identification procedures that 
require banks to maintain sufficient information about 
customers and correspondent financial institutions. 
 
 
(U)  By establishing the NDSC, mandated to protect oil 
installations from terrorist activity the GON is protecting 
U.S. economic and commercial interests.   Additionally, the 
Nigerian Police and other security forces continue to 
cooperate to the fullest extent, given the restraints on 
their capabilities, in the area of combating terrorism and in 
protecting American citizen residents and USG personnel and 
installations. 
 
 
L. (U)  The U.S. Government has not sought the cooperation of 
the GON in the investigation or prosecution of an act of 
international terrorism in the past five years. 
 
 
M. (U)  Prevention of Terrorism: As stated in section K 
above, GON security agencies have given their full 
cooperation in protecting U.S. citizens and interests from 
possible acts of terrorism.  For example, the GON has 
provided enhanced and ongoing security for the Embassy and 
its related agencies. Also, the GON has given high priority 
to information sharing for security purposes. 
Jeter