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
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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.

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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"
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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

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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
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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