SECURITY COOPERATION WITH NIGERIA: OJO MADUEKWE,

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABUJA 001330 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/29/2014 TAGS: PREL MARR MASS PGOV PHUM NI SUBJECT: SECURITY COOPERATION WITH NIGERIA: OJO MADUEKWE, SPECIAL ADVISOR TO PRESIDENT ON LEGAL AND CONSITUTIONAL MATTERS REF: A. STATE 155894 ¶B. ABUJA 1295 Classified By: Ambassador John Campbell for reasons 1.5 (b),(d). ¶1. Summary: I went over the talking points in Ref. A with President Obasanjo's legal and constitutional advisor on July ¶28. He said he would urge the President Obasanjo to make a speech incorporating the essential elements included in Reftel End summary. ¶2. I met with Ojo Maduekwe, the President's Special Advisor on Legal and Constitutional Matters, to, among other things, make the points provided in Ref. A. Maduekwe was highly supportive of restoring the U.S./Nigeria military training relationship, and observed that the essential elements of a presidential statement on accountability have already been made by Obasanjo at various times. Maduekwe said he would support with the president making the same points again with a military audience. ¶3. Maduekwe said that restoration of the U.S./Nigeria military training relationship is essential. He observed that the Nigerian military would benefit from human rights and humanitarian training because they must often serve, in effect, as auxiliaries to the police in cases of ethnic strife. He also made the point that Nigeria is vulnerable to penetration by Al Quada and other instruments of international terrorism. While he said there is no evidence that such groups have a presence in Nigeria yet, the potential is there, and the Nigerian military needs all the training help it can get. ¶4. Comment: Maduekwe tarnished his record as a human rights lawyer by his involvement with the Abacha regime. At one point early in Abacha's tenure, he promoted himself unsuccessfully as a candidate to be Nigerian ambassador to Washington. Subsequently he fell out with the Abacha regime. However, along with many other Abacha supporters, he made a comeback in the first Obasanjo government, serving as minister of transportation. Now, he is one of the president's legal advisors. CAMPBELL