CONSUL GENERAL AND DEA ATTACHE MEETING WITH NDLEA

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LAGOS 000260

SIPDIS

DEA HQS FOR OI, OID, OEE, OSE, OIE
STATE FOR AF/W, INL, INR/AA
ROME FOR BENSON AND PASQUARELLO
HAGUE FOR BOOBAR

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/16/2015
TAGS: PREL PGOV SNAR NI
SUBJECT: CONSUL GENERAL AND DEA ATTACHE MEETING WITH NDLEA
BOSS

REF: LAGOS 00003

Classified By: CONSUL GENERAL BRIAN L. BROWNE FOR REASON 1.4 (D)


1. (C) On February 13, Consul General and DEA Country Attach
Sam Gaye (CA) met Nigerian National Drug Law Enforcement
Agency (NDLEA) Chairman Ahmadu Giade. The purpose of the
meeting was to urge Giade to continue to reform the NDLEA but
also to accelerate the pace and expand the scope of this
positive movement (reftel).


2. (C) Consul General acknowledged Giade's ongoing
reorganization of the NDLEA as step in the right direction.
However, the CG stressed the need to record serious successes
relatively quickly. The Consul General emphasized that much
time had elapsed without any real progress. He stressed the
need to formerly reconstitute the NDLEA/DEA Joint Task Force
(JTF). The JTF must begin to target major traffickers and
large shipments.


3. (C) Giade agreed, stating President Obasanjo had told him
about the increase in Nigeria-related drug trafficking in the
U.S. President Obasanjo mandated him to reverse that
escalation within one year, Giade declared. He asked if DEA
could provide him information regarding individuals arrested
with drugs in the United States whose travel or flights
originated from Nigeria. Giade said he wanted to test the
effectiveness of his new airport commanders, because he
suspected collusion between some NDLEA airport agents and
drug traffickers. Giade vowed to fire any airport commander
found colluding or if there was any pattern of traffickers
using a particular airport without being detected. By
dismissing complicit senior officials, he would send a strong
signal to the rest of NDLEA agents. In response, DEA CA
stated that it was possible to provide Giade with some arrest
information, but due to the lack of direct flights between
Nigeria and the U.S. it would be difficult to determine in
all cases where a trip may have originated. Moreover,
Nigerian drug couriers tend to hide the origin of their trips
by utilizing multiple airline tickets and passports.


4. (C) Giade also wanted to know if CA Gaye could help
procure tamper proof evidence bags. Giade was concerned about
evidence tampering by NDLEA officials and wanted to prevent
it. CA Gaye explained the process utilized by the DEA and
suggested several measures that can be put in place. One of
the immediate measures was to secure functioning safe. DEA CA
then promised to check with INL to see he can purchase a new
safe for the evidence vault. Consul General and DEA Attach
also urged Chairman Giade to implement procedures to secure
samples and then dispose of bulk drug evidence. Giade
promised to work out modalities with the courts that would
allow the use of representative samples in lieu of bulk
evidence.


5. (C) Consul General and DEA Attache encouraged Giade to
pursue the financial assets of drug traffickers. DEA CA
commended Giade for re-opening the case against drug baron
Onochie Ikenua and his Agency's determination to go after
his illegal assets. On October 28, 2005, acting on
Presidential directive, former NDLEA Chairman Bello put
together a special task force. The task force arrested
Onochie Ikenua with 3.2 kilograms of cocaine. Subsequent to
his arrest, drug agents uncovered 14 bank accounts with over
2 million dollars and 16 real estate properties in Lagos.
However, Bello released Ikenua and disbanded the special task
force. On DEA request, Giade re-opened the Onochie case.
According to Chairman Giade, additional accounts have been
discovered and the investigation continues. Giade credited
DEA for bringing this case to his attention.


6. (C) DEA raised the long-delayed extradition of Lawrence
Kayode with Giade who was unaware of this case. Kayode's
extradition was requested in 2004, but it has stalled in the
Nigerian legal system. Giade promised to look into the
matter.


7. (C) On January 3, 2006, DEA coordinated an international
controlled delivery (ICD) with the NDLEA. One Nigerian female
was arrested in Onitsha, Anambra State. Under the direction
of Chairman Giade, the NDLEA is pursuing the defendant's
assets. It is anticipated that the NDLEA will seize bank
accounts, cars and a real estate.



BROWNE