NIGERIA: CA GAYE MEETING WITH NDLEA CHAIRMAN TO

C O N F I D E N T I A L LAGOS 001250 SIPDIS POST FOR DEA/TOMASZEWSKI DEA HQS FOR OI, OIE, OC, OEE/ANDERSON AND SHERMAN STATE FOR INL/LP, AF/W E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/04/2010 TAGS: SNAR PREL PINR NI SUBJECT: NIGERIA: CA GAYE MEETING WITH NDLEA CHAIRMAN TO DISCUSS NEXT STEPS CLASSIFIED BY: DEA ATTACHE SAM GAYE FOR REASONS 1.4 (b) AND (d) ¶1. (C) ON JULY 23, 2005, DEA ATTACHE (CA) SAM GAYE MET DR. BELLO LAFIAJI, NDLEA CHAIRMAN TO DISCUSS OPERATIONAL MATTERS AS WELL AS QUESTIONS AFRISING FROM THE PREVIOUS WEEK,S INTERAGENCY NARCOTICS CERTIFICATION MEETING IN WASHINGTON. ¶2. (C) CA GAYE INFORMED DR. BELLO ABOUT THE OUTSTANDING QUESTION REGARDING THE NARCOTIC REPORT SUBMITTED BY THE NDLEA THAT NEEDED CLARIFICATION AND/OR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. CA GAYE MENTIONED HE HAD ALREADY RECEIVED SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM THE NDLEA,S DIRECTOR OF PROSECUTION. DR. BELLO RESPONDED HE WAS FULLY AWARE OF THE INTERAGENCY DELIBERATION PROCESS, AND ASKED CA GAYE TO OBTAIN THE REQUISITE INFORMATION FROM PERTINENT NDLEA OFFICES. AFTER THANKING THE CHAIRMAN FOR THIS ACCESS, CA GAYE EMPHASIZED THAT THE MAJOR ISSUE WAS THE NDLEA,S DEFINITION OF &MAJOR TRAFFICKERS8 AS USED IN THE REPORT. IN REPLY, DR. BELLO DID NOT SPEND MUCH TIME ON THIS IMPORTANT DEFINITIONAL ISSUE IN DETAIL, INSTEAD HE DELEGATED THE MATTER TO HIS DIRECTORS. HOWEVER, BELLO SPENT SIGNIGICANT TIME EXPLAINING THAT HIS FOCUS WAS &INSTITUTION BUILDING AND PROFESSIONALIZING8 THE NDLEA TO BE AN EFFECTIVE ORGANIZATION. WITHOUT PROMPTING BY CA GAYE, DR BELLO ADDED THAT HE WOULD HAND PICK HIS SUCCESSOR FROM WITHIN THE NDLEA, BECAUSE HE DID NOT WANT TO HANDOVER TO AN OUTSIDER. HE THOUGHT HE HAD THE POLITICAL CLOUT TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN. ¶3. (C) DURING THIS MEETING, CA GAYE SHARED INTELLIGENCE RECEIVED FROM THE DEA CARIBBEAN DIVISION. ACCORDING TO DEA INTELLIGENCE, A CONTAINER FROM THE CARIBBEAN, IS SUSPECTED OF CARRYING LARGE QUANTITIES OF DRUGS SECRETED IN USED AUTO PARTS. THIS CONTAINER WILL BE TRANSITING THE REPUBLIC OF BENIN IN LATE SEPTEMBER, WITH NIGERIA AS THE FINAL DESTINATION. CA GAYE SUGGESTED THAT THE JOINT U.S/NIGERIA TASK FORCE WORK THIS INVESTIGATION WITH AUTHORITIES FROM THE BENIN REPUBLIC, WITHIN THE FRAME WORK OF THE WEST AFRICAN JOINT OPERATIONS (WAJO). DR. BELLO AGREED BUT STATED THAT THE CONTAINER SHOULD BE SEIZED IN BENIN AND NOT NIGERIA. DR. BELLO SAID HE WOULD ADD MORE AGENTS TO THE JOINT TASK FORCE TO WORK WITH DEA LAGOS. DR. BELLO AND CA GAYE AGREED TO MEET AGAIN TO DISCUSS THIS AND OTHER OPERATIONS. BROWNE