US embassy cable - 05LAGOS1674

C O N F I D E N T I A L LAGOS 001674 
 
SIPDIS 
 
TRANSPORTATION FOR FAA 
DAKAR PLS PASS TO FAA REP ED JONES 
ROME PLS PASS TO TSA REP JOHN HALINSKI 
FOR DS/IP/AF 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/25/2015 
TAGS: CASC, EAIR, NI, ASEC, PREL 
SUBJECT: BELLVIEW CRASH: AN UNLIKELY CLAIM OF RESPONSIBILITY 
 
REF: LAGOS 1662 AND PREVIOUS 
 
1. (U) The October 26 Punch Newspaper and Champion Newspaper 
reported a previously unknown group, Coalition for Militant 
Action in the Niger Delta (COMA), has claimed responsbility 
for the October 22 Bellview flight 3210 air crash.  COMA 
claims its membership consists of the following groups: Isein 
Justice Movement, Ijaw Militant Group, Niger Delta 
Guerrillas, and the Ogoni Justice Seekers.  The group claims 
to have taken this action to protest the September arrest of 
Niger Delta People's Vigilant Force (NDPVF) leader Dokubo 
Asari on treason charges. 
 
2. (C) Comment: Nigerian authorities have said they will 
investigate this claim.  The credibility of this claim 
appears dubious.  Asari's group, the NDPVF, is a well known 
militia organization, but it is not/not a signatory to the 
COMA claim.  None of the signatories to this claim are known 
to Post.  This is the first time we can remember any group 
claiming responsibility for a mass tragedy in Nigeria.  While 
we think the claim and the group behind it are likely 
spurious, the fact that it has been uttered injects something 
new and unfortunately nasty into an already troubled mix.  At 
the very least, this is a political trick of the worst 
pedigree and one that will offend all ordinary sensibilities. 
 More worrisome is the possibility that overzealous security 
agents may engage in a new round of arrests and detentions, 
further increasing tensions in the Niger Delta.  Most 
worrisome but the least likely scenario, is that there is a 
new militia group in the Delta that appears to eclipse the 
others in its misconduct.  End Comment. 
BROWNE