DRUG CHIEF REPLACED

C O N F I D E N T I A L LAGOS 001790

SIPDIS

STATE FOR AF/W
STATE FOR INR/AA
STATE FOR INL
DEA FOR OI, OC, OID, OIE, OEE, OSE
POST FOR DEA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/24/2015
TAGS: PREL PGOV SNAR NI
SUBJECT: DRUG CHIEF REPLACED

REF: LAGOS 1768 AND PREVIOUS

Classified By: Consul General Brian L. Browne for Reason 1.4 (D)


1. (U) Dr. Bello Lafiaji has been removed as Chairman of the
National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and replaced by
Ahmadu Giade, effective immediately.


2. (U) Giade is a retired deputy commissioner of police, and
in 1994 while on active duty he served on a panel
investigating NDLEA corruption and evidence tampering. Post
is attempting to gather additional information about the new
Chairman.


3. (C) No official reason was given for Lafiaji's removal,
but Lafiaji's removal comes as the latest link in a chain of
events including often tense meetings with Lafiaji and the
Ambassador's intervention with President Obasanjo about the
NDLEA's declining cooperation with us on counter-narcotics.
In recent years NDLEA has focused primarily on apprehension
of low-level narcotics couriers rather than targeting leaders
and/or financiers of trafficking organizations. More
disturbingly, instances where major figures have been
initially detained have yielded no convictions and have been
suspiciously dropped.


4. (C) Comment: After a mid-November meeting with the
President, Lafiaji was mistakenly buoyed that he was in the
President's good graces. Lafiaji joins a growing list of
officials who have misread President Obasanjo's penchant for
acting friendly toward his target as a prelude to abruptly
dismissing him. In the end, the President apparently saw
through Lafiaji's attempt to paint his organization as a
vigilant one. The President also understood the gravity of
the situation regarding GON narcotics trafficking performance
and how it could stultify the bilateral relationship.
Weighing this in the balance, Obasanjo quickly made the only
reasonable decision -- telling Lafiaji his disservice was no
longer needed. End comment.
BROWNE