DIRECTOR OF NIGERIAN FINANCIAL INTEL UNIT ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 LAGOS 000473 SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/W, INR/AA TREASURY FOR FINCEN E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/25/2016 TAGS: EFIN PGOV CASC KCOR KCRIM NI SUBJECT: DIRECTOR OF NIGERIAN FINANCIAL INTEL UNIT ON RESIGNATION, STATE OF NFIU REF: ABUJA 946 Classified By: Acting Consul General Helen C. Hudson, Reasons 1.4 (B,D) Classified By: Political Counselor Walter Pflaumer for reasons 1.4. (b & d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY. Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) Director A.B. Okauru (strictly protect) met with Poloffs on November 19 to discuss his sudden resignation from the NFIU on November 18 and the current state of affairs within the organization. He told Poloffs he resigned upon learning of EFCC Chairwoman Farida Waziri's intention to suspend him, reportedly on grounds of disloyalty. Okauru and his wife were briefly detained at the NFIU headquarters as police blocked their departure for an hour. Okauru told Poloffs that the EFCC is "in very bad shape" and claimed that EFCC Chair Waziri wants to control and approve everything. He maintained she has suspended the NFIU's ability to communicate and share information directly with other Egmont Group FIUs, demanding that she clear off on all communications. Ministry of Commerce Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering (SCUML) Director Norman Wokoma was appointed acting Director. We believe, but have no confirmation, that Wokoma returned on November 17 from his Washington trip with Okauru and told Waziri of Okauru's expressions to USG officials of frustration with EFCC management. Okauru's resignation further complicates the question of how we work with and support institutions and move our anti-corruption agenda forward. Okauru is an American citizen and says he is concerned for his safety to the extent that he is always concerned as a result of his former position as NFIU Chief, however he does not feel he is in imminent danger or that he needs to leave Nigeria. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) Okauru was composed and professional as he met with Poloffs on November 19 to discuss his resignation from the NFIU the day before. He appeared sincerely proud of the work he had done and disappointed that he would no longer be a part of the NFIU. He asked Poloffs to specifically pass to his colleagues in the U.S. that he had enjoyed working with them and felt the NFIU had accomplished much in a short time. Okauru told Poloffs his last official action as NFIU Director was to hand over leadership of the NFIU to the Director for Administration, Ms. Binta Ranor. Okauru said, however, that Waziri appointed SCUML Director Norman Wokoma as acting NFIU Director. (COMMENT: Wokoma traveled with Okauru to the U.S. and, we believe but have no confirmation, that he reported back to Waziri on Okauru's conversations with USG officials about his frustration with the EFCC's current direction. INLoff attending GIABA conference in Dakar, Senegal reports that members of the Nigerian delegation there said yesterday Waziri has been very sensitive to contacts with USG officials carried out without her knowledge and had warned at an EFCC retreat that any disloyalty or appearance of disloyalty to her would be punished. END COMMENT.) NFIU Deputy Director John Akonbo was transferred to SCUML to replace Wokoma as Director. SAYS WAZIRI SEES NFIU AS POLITICAL TOOL - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶3. (C) Okauru described the NFIU and the EFCC as "in very bad shape." He told Poloffs that direct communication and information sharing between the NFIU and other FIUs (an Egmont Group prerequisite) has entirely ceased -- with Waziri insisting on clearing all NFIU communications. Okauru maintained that rather than just delaying the process, once communications were sent to Waziri for clearance, no action was ever taken on them. Okauru believed that Waziri had not understood the NFIU's role when she took over as EFCC Chair, and so had not at first interfered. As her understanding of the unitdeepened, however, Okauru maintained she began to understand the importance of the NFIU's role. LAGOS 00000473 002 OF 003 ¶4. (C) Okauru further told Poloffs that the system of checks and balances at NFIU had revealed that Waziri pressured a low-level NFIU employee to try (unsuccessfully) to access the financial transactions of former Lagos Governor Bola Tinubu, insisting the employee keep her inquiry a secret. (COMMENT: Former Governor Tinubu is under investigation by the EFCC. NFIU reports to the EFCC Board of Directors; however, the EFCC Chairman does not have access to NFIU data and computer systems as the Unit is intended to function independently -- a requirement of Egmont Group membership. END COMMENT.) In addition, Okauru says Waziri went behind his back to request information from other FIUs in the Egmont Group. (Note: FIUs communicate directly with each other within the Egmont Group; however, the EFCC does not have the authority to communicate with Egmont. End Note.) Okauru told Poloff and INLoff on May 18 (reftel) that his presence at the NFIU would be a good barometer of the EFCC's seriousness as a corruption fighting institution, stressing that he would leave if he felt the organization's integrity was threatened. Although Okauru said he did not return from the U.S. with the intention of resigning, he told Poloffs he can now no longer work for Chairwoman Waziri. WHAT NEXT FOR OKAURU - - - - - - - - - - - ¶5. (C) Okauru is an American citizen (as well as a Nigerian citizen) who was recruited by former EFCC Chairman Ribadu to set up the NFIU. He told Poloffs he is concerned for his safety to the extent that he is the former NFIU Chief. He maintains, however, that, he does not feel in imminent danger, and does not see a need to leave Nigeria at present. (Note: Poloffs provided contact information and urged Okauru to let them know should he feel himself in jeopardy. End note.) He told Poloffs he is unsure what he will do next but had always tried to stay below the political radar. Several media outlets had already contacted Okauru, but he told Poloffs he was willing only to provide them a copy of his pro-forma resignation letter. THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF HIS RESIGNATION AND "DETENTION" - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶6. (C) Okauru told Poloffs he returned from Washington on November 17, where he and SCUML Director Norman Wokoma met with U.S. Departments of State, Treasury and Justice. Okauru said he received a call from EFCC Human Resources on November 18 requesting his immediate return to his NFIU office to sign for a letter. Okauru told them he was in meetings and unable to return to the office until that evening. When he did return to his office (with his wife),approximately 15 Mobile Police (MoPol) officers assigned to the EFCC prevented him and his wife from departing and told them they were under orders to "seal the NFIU." According to Okauru, one of the MoPol officers informed him he was to have received a suspension letter earlier in the day. ¶7. (C) Okauru said he immediately confronted Waziri over the phone about what was happening. She replied that he had been disloyal and that she should have suspended him long ago. He told her he was surprised at this since he always considered himself to be cooperative and professional. Okauru said Waziri also insisted that she should not be blamed for his being detained by the police. Okauru then told Waziri that she need not suspend him as he was resigning effective immediately. Okauru told Poloffs that Waziri believes he has been leaking information to online news site SaharaReporters. Okauru adamantly denied this, though he did note that SaharaReporters often receives detailed, correct information. ¶8. (C) Upon typing his letter of resignation, Okauru and his wife were permitted to leave unhindered. Okauru delivered his resignation to the EFCC Headquarters early on November 19, after which he returned to the NFIU to pack his personal LAGOS 00000473 003 OF 003 effects. He asked security personnel and NFIU staff to observe his packing so as to verify that no official files or information were inappropriately removed from the NFIU. COMMENT: WHERE DOES THAT LEAVE THE USG - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶9. (C) COMMENT. Despite problems and issues within the NFIU (a USG FINCEN staffer assigned temporarily to the NFIU last year to provide capacity building, while the EFCC was under the leadership of Ribadu protege Ibrahim Lamorde, The USG FINCEN staffer left early citing lack of seriousness on the part of the institution overall). The NFIU is in many ways the most important element of the EFCC. Okauru was viewed by many as a behind-the-scenes technocrat who stayed out of the politics of the day. The fact is that the EFCC and NFIU are so weak institutionally as to be completely dependent on the personalities of their leadership. END COMMENT. ¶10. This cable coordinated with Consulate Lagos. BLAIR