US embassy cable - 02ABUJA113

UNCLAS ABUJA 000113 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPT PASS TO S/CT, EB/ESC/ESP, AF/W 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KCOR, ETTC, PTER, NI 
SUBJECT: NIGERIA: CENTRAL BANK COMPLIES WITH PATRIOT ACT 
AND LOOKS FOR TERRORIST-HELD ACCOUNTS 
 
REF: A. STATE 01 219298 
     B. STATE 01 218088 
     C. STATE 01 222432 
     D. STATE 4264 
 
 
1. On January 4, Deputy Governor for Domestic Operations M. 
R. Rasheed met with Embassy EconOff regarding steps the 
Central Bank might take in response to Refs A, B and C 
regarding the Patriot Act and additional terrorist lists. 
Rasheed reported that the Central Bank would issue circulars 
requesting all banks to examine whether they hold accounts by 
terrorist entities identified Ref A and C.  The CBN would 
issue a separate circular requesting all Nigerian banks to 
immediately communicate with U.S. correspondent banks and 
provide them with the information required by the Patriot 
Act, he said. 
 
 
2. On January 9, EconOff sent Ref D list of terrorist 
entities to Deputy Governor for International Operations 
Ernest Ebi, who Post later discovered was on leave.  On 
January 14, EconOff sent the list to Deputy Governor Rasheed 
who confirmed that the CBN would issue a circular by January 
16 requiring all banks to review their accounts accordingly. 
 
 
3. Rasheed said that the CBN would not undertake routine 
investigations to ensure banks are providing full-disclosure. 
 However, he welcomed specific information on possible 
terrorist links from the U.S. that would initiate a CBN 
investigation into a specific bank's activities.  Rasheed 
commented that the CBN had initiated investigations into 
Africa International Bank and Habib Bank based on suggestions 
that they may have ties to the Middle East.  However, no 
terrorist-held accounts have been discovered as of January 15. 
 
 
4. Rasheed, as former CBN Director of International 
Operations, had worked with the U.S. Embassy and Treasury 
Department extensively in the past, in particularly on 419 
issues.  He said that the CBN wants to take a leadership role 
in West Africa and on the continent in fighting terrorism. 
He has very strong personal feelings, having lunched on the 
top floor of the World Trade Center on September 7. 
Jeter