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