INL LEA MEETING WITH AG AND NDLEA CHAIRMAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABUJA 001390 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR INL/AAE AND AF/W LAGOS FOR DEA, INL AND POL E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/07/2016 TAGS: SNAR PREL PINR KCRM NI NARCOTICS SUBJECT: INL LEA MEETING WITH AG AND NDLEA CHAIRMAN Classified By: INL, Robert Downey for Reason 1.4(d) ¶1. (U) INL LEA Downey met separately May 31 with GON Attorney General (AG) Bayo Ojo and NDLEA Chairman Giade to discuss the AG,s proposed visit to the U.S. The Nigerian delegation requested meetings with INL A/S Patterson and the DEA Administrator to discuss certification issues. LEA advised both the AG and Giade that this was not an opportune time for such a visit and, based on information available to DEA CA Lagos, the DEA Administrator was not likely to be available. LEA also indicated that the delegation could probably meet with officials at State, but that A/S Patterson would probably not be available either. He noted that having the AG meet with lower level officials was not in either country,s interest. ¶2. (C) LEA pointed out that while the GON had made some progress on the benchmarks delivered in January 2006, there was still a lot more that could and needed to be accomplished before certification could be assured. The most glaring deficiency, which was sure to sour any meetings in Washington, was the fact that NDLEA International Operations Director Vincent Ossai had been reinstated. LEA impressed upon both the AG and Giade that as long as Ossai remained in his position, it would be very difficult to convince Washington that the GON was serious about rooting out corrupt or other questionable individuals. Giade repeated what he had already told DEA CA ) that he too was upset about the reinstatement but that there was nothing he could do about it. ¶3. (C) The AG said that he had investigated the allegations against Ossai and had determined that the information provided by DEA involved another Vincent Ossai; that the whole issue was a case of mistaken identity. LEA said that if that were the case, either the AG,s office or the NDLEA needed to provide conclusive evidence that Ossai was innocent. He added that until such time as Ossai was completely exonerated, he needed to be removed from any position of responsibility or confidence within NDLEA. The AG agreed and said he would have Ossai removed. ¶4. (U) When the AG asked what else he could do to improve certification prospects, LEA gave him a copy of the benchmarks and went over those in which the GON was particularly deficient ) barons, extradition and seizures. Ojo assured LEA he would study the benchmarks carefully and take immediate action. ¶5. (C) The following day, June 1, the AG,s Special Asst, Lanre Ipinmisho called LEA and advised that Ossai was &no longer on seat.8 An hour later when LEA met with Giade at Abuja airport and mentioned the SA,s call, Giade too said Ossai was gone. Despite these claims, when DEA CA returned to Nigeria and checked with NDLEA, he found that while Ossai may have been removed from his position, he was simply transferred to another position within NDLEA Headquarters. ¶6. (C) Comment: As long as Ossai remains employed at NDLEA, it is hard to believe the GON is serious about the war on drugs. This is not the first time Ossai,s integrity has been questioned. He was sacked from this very same position in the mid-90,s by then NDLEA Chairman MG Musa Bamyai. Ossai claims it was because he was &too close to Americans.8 However, both LEA (who then was political counselor in Lagos) and DEA CA had close personal relationships with Bamaiyi whose professional relationship with the mission was excellent. It was only the last Chairman, now disgraced and sacked Bello Lafiagi, who reinstated Ossai. ¶7. (C) We are also concerned that both the AG,s office and Giade deceived and misled LEA. While one could argue that the AG indeed had Ossai removed from his position, both LEA and DEA CA had made it clear that Ossai needed to be sacked from NDLEA completely. FUREY