US embassy cable - 05LAGOS1692

S E C R E T LAGOS 001692 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEA FOR OC, OI, OID, OEE, OSE, OIE 
SECSTATE FOR INL/LP,AF/W 
POST FOR RD AND ARD 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/27/2010 
TAGS: PGOV, PINR, SNAR, NI 
SUBJECT: MEETING WITH NDLEA INTERNATIONAL COORDINATOR 
 
REF: (A) ABUJA 2020 (B) LAGOS 1691 
 
Classified By: DEA ATTACHE SAM GAYE FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D) 
 
(1) (S) On October 25, at the direction of NDLEA Chairman 
Bello Lafiaji, NDLEA's International Coordinator Vincent 
Ossai, met DEA Attache (CA) Sam Gaye to discuss counter 
narcotics cooperation. Ossai asked to meet outside the 
Consulate But CA Gaye insisted on the venue being his office. 
According to Ossai, Bello asked him to meet CA Gaye to 
clarify concerns raised by the Ambassador to President 
Obasanjo (reftel A ). Ossai began the meeting by questioning 
the rationale behind the Ambassador and the British High 
Commissioner meeting with the president regarding NDLEA's 
performance. He said Bello wanted to know if DEA had provided 
the Ambassador with "inaccurate information." 
 
(2) (S) CA Gaye reiterated the concerns raised by the 
Ambassador to senior GON officials including President 
Obasanjo and Chairman Bello Lafiaji. CA Gaye showed Ossai 
NDLEA's own drug seizures and arrests statistics, indicating 
no dismantling of major organizations or arrests of major 
drug traffickers in Nigeria since 2001. During the same time 
period, there had been no major seizures of heroin or cocaine 
in excess of 50 kilograms and that heroin trafficking by 
Nigerians to the U.S. had increased. Ossai agreed with our 
assessment but returned to the issue of the Ambassador and 
the British High Commissioner seeing the President. 
 
(3) (S) CA Gaye reminded Ossai that the Ambassador had raised 
the same concern with Bello prior to meeting President 
Obasanjo. Ossai said because of the Ambassador's action, 
Bello and his top aides would likely be fired and that 
'people want Bello's job". CA Gaye responded that we were not 
trying to get Bello removed but reminded Ossai of the need to 
swiftly follow up on the Consul General's suggestion to Bello 
to have the NDLEA meet with DEA and work out a detailed 
strategy for drug cooperation giving particular focus to 
reviving the Joint Task Force (reftel B ). Ossai added that 
Bello was concerned about Nigeria's narcotics certification. 
At this point, CA Gaye informed Ossai that Nigeria was 
certified this year but the next "report card" was due in 
June 2006. Ossai felt relief that Nigeria was certified and 
said the NDLEA has more time to turn this around. 
 
(4) (S) Ossai then said he wanted to deliver a "special 
request" from NDLEA Chairman Bello Lafiaji. Ossai said Bello 
wanted CA Gaye to tell the Consul General and the Ambassador 
that, DEA and the NDLEA have already identified and targeted 
major "drug barons" for investigation. Ossai continued, Bello 
wanted CA Gaye to go to Abuja and convince the Ambassador 
about this fact, so that he can inform President obasanjo 
before Bello's pending meeting with the President. CA Gaye 
said that he was unaware of the NDLEA identifying any major 
trafficker and then asked Ossai "if Bello wanted him to lie?" 
Ossai reluctantly said "yes". At this point, CA Gaye told 
Ossai that he will not mislead the Ambassador that this 
meeting was adjourned. But before concluding, CA Gaye 
stressed that the Joint Task Force (JTF) be reconstituted so 
that it genuinely can target significant violators. 
BROWNE