US embassy cable - 05LAGOS1250

C O N F I D E N T I A L LAGOS 001250 
 
SIPDIS 
 
POST FOR DEA/TOMASZEWSKI 
DEA HQS FOR OI, OIE, OC, OEE/ANDERSON AND SHERMAN 
STATE FOR INL/LP, AF/W 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/04/2010 
TAGS: SNAR, PREL, PINR, NI 
SUBJECT: NIGERIA: CA GAYE MEETING WITH NDLEA CHAIRMAN TO 
DISCUSS NEXT STEPS 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: DEA ATTACHE SAM GAYE FOR REASONS 1.4 (b) AND 
(d) 
 
1.  (C) ON JULY 23, 2005, DEA ATTACHE (CA) SAM GAYE MET DR. 
BELLO LAFIAJI, NDLEA CHAIRMAN TO DISCUSS OPERATIONAL MATTERS 
AS WELL AS QUESTIONS AFRISING FROM THE PREVIOUS WEEK,S 
INTERAGENCY NARCOTICS CERTIFICATION MEETING IN WASHINGTON. 
 
2.  (C) CA GAYE INFORMED DR. BELLO ABOUT THE OUTSTANDING 
QUESTION REGARDING THE NARCOTIC REPORT SUBMITTED BY THE NDLEA 
THAT NEEDED CLARIFICATION AND/OR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.  CA 
GAYE MENTIONED HE HAD ALREADY RECEIVED SOME ADDITIONAL 
INFORMATION FROM THE NDLEA,S DIRECTOR OF PROSECUTION.  DR. 
BELLO RESPONDED HE WAS FULLY AWARE OF THE INTERAGENCY 
DELIBERATION PROCESS, AND ASKED CA GAYE TO OBTAIN THE 
REQUISITE INFORMATION FROM PERTINENT NDLEA OFFICES.  AFTER 
THANKING THE CHAIRMAN FOR THIS ACCESS, CA GAYE EMPHASIZED 
THAT THE MAJOR ISSUE WAS THE NDLEA,S DEFINITION OF &MAJOR 
TRAFFICKERS8 AS USED IN THE REPORT.  IN REPLY, DR. BELLO DID 
NOT SPEND MUCH TIME ON THIS IMPORTANT DEFINITIONAL ISSUE IN 
DETAIL, INSTEAD HE DELEGATED THE MATTER TO HIS DIRECTORS. 
HOWEVER, BELLO SPENT SIGNIGICANT TIME EXPLAINING THAT HIS 
FOCUS WAS &INSTITUTION BUILDING AND PROFESSIONALIZING8 THE 
NDLEA TO BE AN EFFECTIVE ORGANIZATION.  WITHOUT PROMPTING BY 
CA GAYE, DR BELLO ADDED THAT HE WOULD HAND PICK HIS SUCCESSOR 
FROM WITHIN THE NDLEA, BECAUSE HE DID NOT WANT TO HANDOVER TO 
AN OUTSIDER.  HE THOUGHT HE HAD THE POLITICAL CLOUT TO MAKE 
THIS HAPPEN. 
 
3.  (C) DURING THIS MEETING, CA GAYE SHARED INTELLIGENCE 
RECEIVED FROM THE DEA CARIBBEAN DIVISION.  ACCORDING TO DEA 
INTELLIGENCE, A CONTAINER FROM THE CARIBBEAN, IS SUSPECTED OF 
CARRYING LARGE QUANTITIES OF DRUGS SECRETED IN USED AUTO 
PARTS.  THIS CONTAINER WILL BE TRANSITING THE REPUBLIC OF 
BENIN IN LATE SEPTEMBER, WITH NIGERIA AS THE FINAL 
DESTINATION.  CA GAYE SUGGESTED THAT THE JOINT U.S/NIGERIA 
TASK FORCE WORK THIS INVESTIGATION WITH AUTHORITIES FROM THE 
BENIN REPUBLIC, WITHIN THE FRAME WORK OF THE WEST AFRICAN 
JOINT OPERATIONS (WAJO).  DR. BELLO AGREED BUT STATED THAT 
THE CONTAINER SHOULD BE SEIZED IN BENIN AND NOT NIGERIA.  DR. 
BELLO SAID HE WOULD ADD MORE AGENTS TO THE JOINT TASK FORCE 
TO WORK WITH DEA LAGOS.  DR. BELLO AND CA GAYE AGREED TO MEET 
AGAIN TO DISCUSS THIS AND OTHER OPERATIONS. 
 
 
BROWNE