LAGOS EXPLOSION AND NNPC FIRE FOLLOW-UP

C O N F I D E N T I A L LAGOS 000307

SIPDIS


DEPARTMENT FOR DS/DSS/ITA, DS/IP/AF, DS/DSS/CC, AF/W


E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/06/2013
TAGS: ASEC NI PINS
SUBJECT: LAGOS EXPLOSION AND NNPC FIRE FOLLOW-UP


Classified By: RSO J. Pelphrey. Reason 1.5 (d) and (g)



1. (C) Summary: RSO met with police officials on Thursday
and Friday 02/06 and 02/07 regarding last Sunday's explosion
in Lagos. Police provided some insight into the explosion.
RSO staff has also been in contact with the bomb squad in an
effort to see explosives taken from the scene. One police
contact provided additional thoughts on the fire at NNPC.
End Summary.



2. (C) On Thursday 02/06/03, RSO met with Assistant
Commissioner Ojiri (please protect) concerning police support
for the Consulate in the event of hostilities and to request
information regarding the explosion on Sunday 02/02/03. AC
Ojiri confirmed that the area of the explosion is a market
area where Lagos merchants go to buy wholesale merchandise
for resale throughout Lagos. He said he did not believe the
explosion was terrorist related and cited the death of a
local Immam as proof. The explosion could have been
politically motivated citing the upcoming elections. The
most likely cause of the explosions was the storage of the
explosives by someone needing money and having a storage
space for rent. Unfortunately, the bomb squad was unable to
identify the origin of the explosives. When RSO offered that
the USG was standing by to offer assistance if requested, AC
Ojiri said that the Nigerian Police were not yet ready to
request assistance, but he would pass on the offer on Friday
when he met with the Lagos State Commissioner of Police When
asked if the house where the explosion took place might be a
bomb factory, AC Ojiri initially did not understand the
question stating the place of the explosion was not the
target. When asked again, AC Ojiri suggested the possibility
that the owner of the explosives asked someone to arrange
storage for a fee and the explosives were stored in a
warehouse area of the residence.



3. (C) On Friday 02/07/03, RSO met with Superintendent
Garba Baba-Umar (please protect) head of Ikoyi Island police
district. During the conversation, Superintendent Baba-Umar
described the explosives as two types. One type was long and
rectangular about the size of a desktop stapler and the
second was round like an apple but bigger than a hand
grenade. The Superintendent advised that members of the bomb
squad had never seen these types of explosives. The
Superintendent offered the following description of events of
the explosion: There was a small explosion that started a
fire followed by two larger explosions that brought down the
houses. The superintendent did not offer how the first
explosion was caused. The Superintendent said he suggested a
sweep of the neighborhood to locate additional caches of
explosives to his superiors, but his idea was not
enthusiastically received. He advised that he believes the
investigation is going slowly because Lagos State politics
was behind the explosions. He cited the confiscation of
numerous weapons by numerous agencies in the past several
months as further evidence of Lagos State political
involvement in recent problems. He also advised that
numerous "area boys" who have been involved in a gang war
have been charged to court for criminal activities only to be
released on bail at the urging of political leaders and their
lawyers.



4. (C) Superintendent Baba Umar (please protect) provided
the following information regarding the NNPC fire. He said
that he has a tape recording of the suspect from the NNPC
fire in which the suspect admits starting the fire. The
Superintendent advised that he did not believe the suspect
participated in the fire. The Superintendent advised the
only troubling part of the confession was the suspect's
reference that Kaduna would be next. The Superintendent
advised that the NNPC refinery in Kaduna caught fire the day
following the fire at NNPC headquarters in Lagos. The
Superintendent said he believed the NNPC fires were
politically motivated.



5. (C) RSO FSNI has spoken to the bomb squad deputy
commander several times during the week who has confirmed the
explosives are commercial explosives. RSO has requested to
see the explosives with the intention of photographing them.
The Commander of the bomb squad was in Abuja on Friday and
the request will be made again on Monday. The investigation
into the cause of the explosion continues. RSO will provide
additional information as it becomes available.
HINSON-JONES