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