MFA CONCERNED ABOUT U.S. EMBASSY'S SECURITY,

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABUJA 002028

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/06/2014
TAGS: PREL PGOV ASEC CVIS NI
SUBJECT: MFA CONCERNED ABOUT U.S. EMBASSY'S SECURITY,
NIGERIAN CITIZENS' DETENTIONS


Classified By: Ambassador John Campbell for Reasons 1.5 (B & D).


1. (C) MFA Undersecretary for Protocol Abdulwahab called in
the Ambassador November 7 to discuss several issues. Amb.
Abdulwahab started by expressing condolences for the attack
on ConGen Jeddah, and asking detailed questions on whether we
were comfortable with GON security measures to protect
Embassy Abuja. Ambassador responded that in general we were
making progress, and noted various specific efforts the
Nigeria Police Force (NPF) was making on our behalf. Amb.
Abdulwahab said the NPF will be setting up a Police
Protection Unit (PPU) to further enhance diplomatic security,
and offered to arrange a meeting for the Ambassador with
Nigeria's Inspector General of the NPF and the Commissioner
for police in Abuja.


2. (C) Amb. Abdulwahab also explained that the MFA is
undergoing a re-organization of all units under four
Undersecretaries. The present Undersecretary for Regions
(the MFA's version of P in the Department) will absorb all of
the regional and multinational policy units other than
African Affairs, which will be a separate Undersecretary.
There will be a third Undersecretary for Management, and
Protocol will be the fourth -- Amb. Abdulwahab himself --
with responsibility for everything not under the others.
Amb. Abdulwahab will have a grab bag of responsibilities
under the new system, including protocol, legal, consular,
culture and sports, and public diplomacy.


3. (C) Getting these and several other minor issues out of
the way that he termed "positive," Amb. Abdulwahab raised two
he termed "difficult:" what he described as the deportation
of 324 Nigerian citizens this year in two batches under
strengthened immigration implementation in the U.S., and the
detention of 244 Nigerians at present in the U.S. for
immigration and other violations. Abdulwahab expressed
understanding that immigration rules and enforcement had to
be tightened in the U.S. after September 11, but asked that
the USG differentiate between ignorance of new immigration
procedures and other violations of the law. People who made
innocent mistakes through not knowing the new system,
Abdulwahab contended, should be instructed and reprieved, and
certainly those deported for overstaying or not checking in
with DHS out of ignorance of the new rules should not be
barred from future visas for that alone. Abdulwahab asked
specifically that the USG:

-- Quickly review cases of those 244 detained; and

-- Set up collaboration between the Embassy and GON to
resolve future applications of those deported out of
ignorance of the new system. Abdulwahab said Consular
Director Shadipo would represent the MFA in such contacts.


4. (C) Ambassador responded that September 11, and incidents
like the attack on ConGen Jeddah, certainly had raised our
concern and effort on enforcement of security laws.
Immigration law was no exception, indeed it was a focal point
for Americans in general and the Administration and Congress
in particular. Ambassador noted that laws must be enforced
and the new procedures rigorously implemented, but agreed to
forward the GON's concerns to the Department.


5. (C) Amb. Abdulwahab questioned whether the "APPLICATION
RECEIVED" stamp, placed in passports when U.S. visas had been
refused, was allowable under international law. Passports
are the property of the governments that issued them, as he
claimed was noted in both U.S. and Nigerian passports, and
such a refusal stamp was defacing the other government's
property. Ambassador said he would check whether such stamps
were required by U.S. law or regulations. (Note: We have
since reconfirmed that this is required by regulation. End
Note.)


6. (C) Amb. Abdulwahab also asked for USG assistance in what
he termed the repatriation of 3-4 billion USD from the U.S.
of illicit proceeds from corruption in Nigeria. (Note: The
reference was to what is commonly referred to in Nigeria as
the "Abacha loot," although the amount may be only a guess
and the definition of "Abacha loot" less than concrete. End
Note.) Ambassador noted that there are existing legal
channels, which basically require a specific GON request for
return of a specific sum from a specific account -- usually
on the basis of a specific finding from a court that the
funds were illicit. Ambassador also indicated an interest in
exploring how to work together to detect such illicitly
acquired proceeds of corruption (per the Sea Island Compact
signed by Presidents Bush and Obasanjo). Amb. Abdulwahab
said the natural GON interlocutor would be the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC),and Ambassador expressed
a willingness to meet with the head of the EFCC in the future.
CAMPBELL