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