NIGERIA: NIGERIA CONTINUES TO COOPERATE IN EFFORT

UNCLAS ABUJA 003080 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KCOR PTER EFIN PREL NI SUBJECT: NIGERIA: NIGERIA CONTINUES TO COOPERATE IN EFFORT TO IDENTIFY TERRORISTS' ACCOUNTS REF: STATE 207526 ¶1. EconOff delivered reftel information December 5 to Ernest Ebi, Deputy Governor for International Operations at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Ebi agreed to release the list of three (3) entities in a new Call Circular, which will require all Nigerian banks to identify accounts associated with these terrorist entities. ¶2. On November 28, the Central Bank issued a circular directing all banks to improve customer identification procedures in order to combat financial frauds ("419s" in local parlance) and money-laundering. The directive prohibits banks from keeping anonymous accounts and requires banks to obtain information on the identity of the persons on whose behalf an account is opened or transaction conducted. These measures, according to Ebi, also will assist the CBN's ongoing efforts to identify terrorists' financial assets. Jeter