US embassy cable - 05LAGOS935

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 LAGOS 000935 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
FOR INL/LP-ABIGAIL SMITH 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR, NI 
SUBJECT:  NIGERIA: 2006 NARCOTICS CERTIFICATION REPORT CARD 
 
REF:  A) STATE 94578 
 
1. (U) This responds to Ref A's request for a certification 
report card identifying the Government of Nigeria's (GON's) 
efforts towards meeting the 2004 certification benchmarks. 
 
A. Major Traffickers 
 
2. (SBU) The 2003 benchmark for cooperation against major 
traffickers include increased effectiveness of the Nigerian 
National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and U.S. Drug 
Enforcement Administration (DEA) supported Joint Task Force, 
and importantly, the investigation and arrest of at least a 
major Nigerian-based drug trafficker.  In addition, the 
Government of Nigeria (GON) should adequately fund the NDLEA 
at a level to support salaries and core operations. 
 
 
In the past year, NDLEA continued to implement strategies 
aimed at motivating its staff. Meritorious staff promotions 
at NDLEA were maintained and this has been instrumental in 
the successes of drug interdiction in Nigeria. These 
promotions are accompanied by reasonable salary packages. 
The Government of Nigeria has streamlined its funding of the 
salaries of NDLEA staff and the core operations of NDLEA. 
 
NDLEA has also institutionalized a regime of professional 
responsibility in its force. This has instilled discipline, 
transparency and loyalty in the force. In capacity building, 
NDLEA has continued to provide mandatory monthly training on 
key issues conducted by knowledgeable personnel from within 
and outside the Agency. All command officers have been 
provided with mandatory computer training. Informants' 
acquisition, training and utilization initiatives have been 
put in place. This has created a sizeable network of 
reliable informants that are proactive in counter-narcotics 
tactics and strategies. 
 
3. (SBU) The USG asked the GON to continue to make progress 
towards establishing a reliable system that will allow 
extradition request to be heard expeditiously and fairly, 
respecting due process and individual rights while avoiding 
delaying tactics.  The benchmark for article 6 is for the 
GON to continue to strengthen its extradition practice and 
procedures, and make progress in resolving pending cases. 
 
In the past year, NDLEA arrested 4,963 drug traffickers and 
98% of them have been successfully prosecuted. Of those 
prosecuted, 45 were considered major drug traffickers. 
As indicated, prosecution of drug traffickers has taken a 
new turn. The arrest, prosecution and sentencing of the 98% 
of those arrested has sent a signal to the drug traffickers 
the worst lies ahead for them. Courts have taken a keen 
interest in drug related cases. This manifested in the 
number of cases prosecuted and conviction handed down in the 
past year. 
 
C. Interdiction 
 
4. (SBU) the benchmark for cooperation in the area of drug 
interdiction is for the GON to successfully seize at least 
one significant illicit drug shipment of heroin or cocaine. 
(Significance to be determined by DEA and RNLEO)  In 
particular, the NDLEA must continue its efforts at the 
airport in Lagos to ensure that any direct flights to the 
U.S. from Lagos do not become a major conduit for drug 
trafficking.  NDLEA must increase its use of INL-donated 
drug detectors, itemiser, at its international airports and 
establish a plan to exercise greater control over mail and 
commercial delivery services. 
 
NDLEA has continued to do an excellent job in drug 
interdiction. In the past year, it seized 702.67 kilograms 
of Cocaine, 58 kilograms of Heroin, 51710.892 kilograms of 
Cannabis and 91.36 kilograms of Psychotropic substances. 
Much of this success has been attributed to the equipment 
donated to the Agency by United States Drug Enforcement 
Agency and the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law 
enforcement. Of particular importance are a digital X-ray 
machine and two itemizers installed at the Murtala Mohammed 
International Airport in Lagos and one itemizer in installed 
at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, and one 
itemiser in Kano. An old X-ray machine from Murtala Mohammed 
International Airport, Lagos, was overhauled and installed 
at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja and is 
regularly serviced for efficiency. Staff training in the 
operation of the equipment has improved and the results are 
very encouraging. In the same period, 1401 persons were 
arrested in connection with drug trafficking and 98 percent 
of them have been successfully prosecuted. The Lagos Airport 
is no longer a major conduit for drugs due to the equipment 
installed at the Airport. 
 
NDLEA has continued to share relevant intelligence regarding 
arrests, seizures and prosecutions, with her international 
collaborators. This has yielded appreciable narcotic 
interdiction success. Notable in its endeavor to clean up 
the region from drug trafficking are the two multi-lateral 
joint anti-narcotic operations held under the West African 
Joint operations project. Under this project, 600 kgs and 
400 kgs of cocaine were interdicted in Ghana, and Togo 
respectively. 
The 37 state Commands created cover the whole country and 
these Commands have been fully staffed with well-trained 
personnel. This has eased the operations of the agency. 
NDLEA assessed operations of Port Harcourt Airport with a 
view to strengthening and tightening its security operations 
at the Airport. It was found that after security was 
tightened at the Murtala Mohamed International Airport, 
Lagos and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, 
Port Harcourt Airport became a transit hub for drug 
traffickers. This was worsened by the introduction of weekly 
flights by British Airways and Air France. Also, this 
Airport neither has an itemizer nor an X-ray machine for the 
detection of drugs. Plans are under way to purchase an x-ray 
machine for the Airport. 
 
Three sniffer dogs acquired from South African Police 
Service have also played a great role in drug interdiction. 
These dogs have complemented the equipment at the Murtala 
Mohamed International Airport, Lagos. The dogs have been 
used at the seaports in Lagos where they are deployed. Once 
in a while they are used at the Airport in Lagos. 
 
 
D. Money Laundering and Asset Forfeiture 
 
5. (SBU) The benchmarks for this area includes GON effective 
cooperation with the FATF AMERG to ensure that any remaining 
cited deficiencies are corrected and the newly enacted 
reforms are meaningfully enforced and implemented. 
 
The GON has increased its support for the EFCC. In the past 
year, the funding of EFCC was increased from N752,000,000 to 
N1,299,000,000. The Senate has also promised to fully fund 
EFCC this financial year due to the good job the agency has 
done so far. EFCC is doing a tremendous job in fighting 
corruption and financial fraud. The arrest and arraignment 
of the former Inspector General of Police, the senate 
president, the Minister for Education, and many high ranking 
Civil Servants for financial crimes has sent a signal to the 
high-ranking Government officials that nobody is above the 
law. Investigations into illegal bank operations have also 
sent a message to fraudsters that they are not safe with 
their loot. The GON must continue its cooperation with the 
U.S. law enforcement agencies to disrupt syndicates 
perpetrating financial fraud, particularly those groups 
involved in advance-fee (419) fraud targeting U.S. citizens. 
 
In money laundering, NDLEA together with EFCC have continued 
to implement several measures to tackle the problem. These 
measures include, sustained bank inspection regime, which 
compels banks and other financial institutions to be more 
stringent in the enforcement of counter-money laundering 
measures, and co-sponsoring workshops on money laundering. 
These workshops have created awareness and have also 
introduced best practices among different institutions. The 
agency's financial investigative capacity has been 
strengthened in the past year. This has led to increased and 
improved bank inspections that have led to prosecution of 
erring banks. There have also been recorded tremendous 
successes in awareness programs aimed at sensitizing 
commercial banks and other financial institutions on 
international Money regulations and the reporting standards 
as required by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). 
This has been reinforced with disciplinary measures 
instituted for disciplining errant officers. This has so far 
resulted in the disengagement of about ten officers from the 
force, hence tremendously improving professional 
responsibility among the NDLEA force. 
 
 
Nigeria passed the 2004 Money Laundering Act is which more 
closely adheres to FATF standards with regards to threshold 
levels.  Last year, an amendment of the EFCC Act was tabled 
before the National Assembly was passed and assented to by 
the President. EFCC has been actively enforcing the Act more 
especially the asset forfeiture provisions. At the same 
time, the establishment of the Financial Intelligence Unit 
has resulted into seizures of N218,095,497,095; $14,277,506; 
CFA3,428,000; Pounds 3,795,441; and Euro 700 in cash and has 
recovered property worth more than $230,000,000. EFCC 
investigated 2,103 cases out of the 2,324 cases reported 
last year. Out of these cases reported and investigated, 
there have been 1,115 arrests and 125 prosecutions. Only 2 
convictions have so far been registered but a message has 
been sent and it is felt in the public. The government is 
committed to the cause and has instructed judges to give 
preference to financial crime cases when they appear in 
their courts. 
 
E. Corruption 
6. (SBU) As a measure of cooperation in the area of 
corruption, the GON must investigate all credible petitions 
alleging corruption by federal, state and local government 
officials.  The NDLEA and NPF must also properly staff and 
fund special offices of professional responsibility to 
investigate misconduct. 
 
--The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related 
Offenses Commission (ICPC) pursued several high level cases 
in the past months.  Among the cases, are those involving 
the Minister for Education, the Senate president and several 
members of the National Assembly. Four hundred twenty three 
dollars was recovered and the parties involved are on trial. 
ICPC has established a training institute for its staff and 
the U.S. Department of Justices Overseas Prosecutorial 
Development Assistance and Training Program (OPDAT) has 
seconded a legal Advisor to the Commission for six months. 
ICPC has staff strength of 268 personnel. Of these, 44 are 
in the investigation department, 21 in the prosecution 
department, and 16 on special duty.  The rest are in She is 
currently housed at the ICPC offices.  ICPC has maintains 
new field offices to better facilitate investigations in 
other parts of the country.  A total of 321 cases have been 
reported since January 2004 Out of these, 90 have been 
investigated and are being prosecuted. There are 204 cases 
under investigation. The number of persons involved is 380 
and the amount of money involved is N5.8billion. 
The GON continues to enlist partner organizations to assist 
in sponsoring and hosting of conferences and workshops 
against corruption in Nigeria; aggressive implementation of 
laws against advance fee fraud and failed banks; probing of 
past governments which has resulted in the recovery of large 
sums in foreign currency; probe of the legislature; the 
implementation of anti-corruption law, and the strengthening 
and further empowerment of the ICPC. 
 
EFCC continues to work closely with US law enforcement 
agencies and has been instrumental in the interdiction of 
stolen credit cards and goods purchased with stolen or 
fraudulent checks and delivered through international 
courier services.  The Nigerian Police Force has embraced 
the "Community Policing" concept. The pilot project that 
started with the training of mid and senior level officers 
in Community policing in Kaduna later produced recruits in 
Kaduna. The recruits were deployed in one division and 
presented with bicycles to enable them patrol the division, 
interact with the public and to report crime. The project 
has been extended to three other states and the response 
from the survey done is very encouraging. 
 
Basic training for new constables using international 
standards is now on truck. The Nigerian Police Force has 
halted the recruitment of new constables and is 
concentrating on vetting and retraining the vetted 
policemen. 
 
F. Demand Reduction 
 
7. (SBU) The USG asked the GON to provide adequate funds and 
personnel to implement the demand reduction component of 
Nigeria's drug control policy plan. 
 
To show its commitment to the cause of NDLEA, the government 
of Nigeria increased her funding of the Agency. The salaries 
and wages of the staff were improved and the funding of 
special projects was also increased by over 50%. The 
government has also released over $2m for capacity and 
structural development of the NDLEA Regional Academy in Jos. 
NDLEA continued with its anti-drug public awareness based on 
the belief that articulate demand-reduction programs should 
precede victory in the supply-reduction battle. To this end, 
the following programs have continued to be implemented by 
NDLEA in Nigeria: 
   a)   Anti-drug public enlightenment, 
   b) Entrenchment of drug abuse committees all over the 
country starting at the local government levels, 
   c) Enforcement of drug abuse education in the curricular 
of Nigerian Primary and Secondary schools, and 
   d) Increasing drug-free clubs in tertiary institutions. 
 
Rehabilitation of drug dependent persons has continued to be 
a core concern for NDLEA. In collaboration with UNODCCP, 
NDLEA embarked on a program of standardizing the Common 
Operational Procedures (COP) for improvement of treatment 
and rehabilitation services for drug abusers in Nigeria. 
Each State and Special Command has been responsible for 
developing a State/area specific awareness campaign. 
G. Controlled Delivery 
 
8.The USG asked the GON to cooperate with controlled 
deliveries, as called for in Article II of the 1988 UN 
Convention on Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances. 
 
In addition to operational activities within Nigeria, NDLEA 
has participated in several successful counter-narcotics and 
counter-money laundering activities in Ghana, Togo, Benin 
and other west African countries. NDLEA operatives have 
assisted the FBI to intercept several shipments from drug 
traffickers. 
 
CAMPBELL