US embassy cable - 05ABUJA1956

S E C R E T ABUJA 001956 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958:  DECL: 10/10/2015 
TAGS: SNAR, PREL, PGOV, NI, NARCOTICS 
SUBJECT:  NIGERIA:  NARCOTICS 
 
Classified By:  Ambassador John Campbell for Reason(s): 
1.5 (b),(d) 
 
REF:  Lagos 1427 
 
1.  Summary: On October 7, I raised with the NDLEA 
Chairman, the Attorney General of the Federation and the 
Principal Secretary to the President Nigeria's apparently 
flagging performance in narcotics interdiction.  Reaction 
ranged from denial -- the NDLEA chairman said our data 
about arrests and interdiction was wrong or incomplete -- 
to deep concern by the Attorney General, who seemed to 
understand fully the importance of the narcotics 
certification process to Nigeria and the bilateral 
relationship.  End Summary 
 
2.  On October 7, Dr. Bello Lafiaji, Chairman of the 
Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) called on me 
to invite me to his book launch on October 10.  I took 
the opportunity to raise concerns that there have 
apparently been no major arrests in Nigeria for narcotics 
trafficking since 2001 and no major narcotics seizures 
(over 50 kilos) in the same time period.  I commented 
that U.S. authorities were concerned about the increased 
flows of heroin into our country and that arresting this 
disturbing trend had become a high priority for us. I 
also raised the issue of Nigeria's narcotics 
certification, and the need to provide convincing 
evidence to Washington agencies of Nigeria's efforts, 
especially against major traffickers and large shipments. 
Bello showed that he was fully cognizant of the 
certification process.  NDLEA Chairman for the past five 
years, Dr. Bello flatly denied there had been no major 
arrests or significant narcotics seizures since 2001.  He 
defended his agency's performance, asserting there have 
been arrests, prosecutions, and convictions of narcotics 
traffickers during that period.  He promised to provide 
detailed reports thereof.  As for narcotics seizures, he 
explained significant ones had occurred, but many of them 
had taken place outside of Nigeria, yet as a result of 
Nigeria's interdiction efforts. 
 
3.  Later the same day, the British High Commissioner and 
I called on the new Attorney General, Bayo Ojo to signal 
concern about Nigerian counter-narcotics efforts.  I 
repeated what I had said to Bello: our information 
indicated no major arrests for narcotics trafficking nor 
major narcotics seizures since 2001.  The British High 
Commissioner said his government's information matched 
ours. I added that, when I raised this issue with the 
NDLEA Chairman, Bello had responded that our information 
was incomplete and promised to send me accurate data.  I 
raised the certification process, with which Ojo was 
familiar, and promised to pass to him the latest counter- 
narcotics benchmarks for Nigeria once the benchmarks were 
ready.  The High Commissioner and I expressed concern 
about the volume of narcotics apparently passing through 
Nigeria.  The British High Commissioner said there was 
evidence of corruption within the NDLEA (Reftel).  The 
Attorney General appeared to understand fully the 
seriousness of what we said. He asked for a report with 
specifics about corruption within the NDLEA, and said 
that he, too, would request from the NDLEA data on 
arrests, prosecutions, convictions and interdictions 
since 2001.  He said he would present his findings and 
any information we provided to President Obasanjo. 
 
4.  (S) On October 7, I called on Steve Oronsaye, 
Principal Secretary to the President, to go over the same 
narcotics concerns.  He took careful notes, and said he 
would be in touch with the Attorney General.  He, too, 
was fully aware of the certification procedure and said 
he would welcome receiving the benchmarks as soon as they 
are ready. 
 
5.  (S) Comment:  By way of these meetings the relevant 
senior Nigerian officials, save for the President 
himself, have been put on notice that we (and the 
British) are giving Nigeria's counter-narcotics 
performance close scrutiny, and that genuine progress in 
targeting major traffickers and toward interdicting large 
shipments will be a cardinal factor during the next 
evaluation of Nigeria's narcotics certification. 
CAMPBELL