VZCZCXRO6618
PP RUEHPA
DE RUEHUJA #2296/01 3261227
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 211227Z NOV 08
FM AMEMBASSY ABUJA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4521
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA 1512
RUEHYD/AMEMBASSY YAOUNDE 0499
RUEHOS/AMCONSUL LAGOS 0308
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUZEJAA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 002296 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/W, INR/AA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/31/2017 
TAGS: PHUM PGOV KTIP ASEC DS NI
SUBJECT: NIGERIA: ICE ATTACHE REACHES OUT TO ANTI-TIP 
ORGANIZATIONS 
 
REF: ABUJA 2200 
 
Classified By: Political Counselor Walter Pflaumer for reasons 1.4. (b 
& d). 
 
¶1. (U) SUMMARY: The United States Immigration and Customs 
Enforcement (ICE) Agency conducted a Bulk Cash Smuggling 
Workshop November 10-13 in Abuja.  On November 12 and 13, ICE 
Attach Lydia St. John and Poloff met with representatives 
from the American Bar Association (ABA), the National Agency 
for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), the 
NGO Women Trafficking and Child Labor Eradication Foundation 
(WOTCLEF), the International Organization for Migration 
(IOM), and UNICEF to sensitize local groups to ICE's mandate 
as well as areas where ICE could potentially offer assistance 
in addressing human trafficking.  St. John informed 
interlocutors about ICE's ability to assist with 
investigations of trafficking in persons cases if a nexus to 
the United States was discovered.  St. John also offered 
possible workshops and speakers on financial investigations 
and victim assistance, to which all interlocutors were 
receptive.  NAPTIP stated that the Federal Executive Council 
(FEC) approved the National Policy for Assistance to Victims 
of Trafficking, as well as the Trafficking in Persons (TIP) 
National Action Plan.  We believe, however, that NAPTIP needs 
to have implementation plans in place if it is to make real 
headway against human trafficking.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (C) ABA:  During a November 12 meeting, ICE Attach Lydia 
St. John (accompanied by Poloff) informed Yinka Lawal and 
Anne Ikpeme, Senior Staff Attorneys for the ABA's Africa Rule 
of Law Initiative (ROLI), of her ability to assist with TIP 
investigations if a connection to the United States were 
discovered.  Lawal said he was hopeful that such 
collaboration would increase the number of high-level 
convictions.  St. John also explained how the U.S. handles 
victims of trafficking when rescued in the U.S.  In response, 
Lawal expressed specific interest in a potential ICE speaker 
attending a future workshop hosted by ABA to focus 
specifically on victim/witness protection and assistance. 
St. John said that ICE would send a speaker if invited. 
 
¶3. (C)  NAPTIP: On November 13, St. John and Poloff met with 
NAPTIP Director of Investigations and Monitoring, Muhammed 
Babandede, to discuss possible collaboration on future 
investigations and technical assistance.  St. John encouraged 
Babandede to reach out to ICE if NAPTIP ever came across a 
link to the United States in the course of an investigation. 
Stressing that it could be something as simple as an American 
phone number, St. John said ICE would be able to use its 
resources to collaborate with NAPTIP officials in building a 
case and arresting suspects if they were located in the U.S. 
Babandede said he believed he had some case files containing 
such links to the U.S. and would email the information to St. 
John immediately.  Highlighting NAPTIP's work with other 
countries such as France, Italy, Switzerland, and the 
Netherlands, Babandede said the only way to get to the 
"kingpins" of TIP organizations was through international 
cooperation.  Noting that the people trafficking humans are 
likely the same people who are trafficking drugs and weapons, 
St. John stressed the importance of crippling these criminal 
organizations by freezing and seizing their assets. 
Lamenting a lack of capacity, Babandede requested technical 
assistance with financial investigations, specifically 
tracing assets.  Babandede also inquired about the U.S. 
policy on Witness Protection, noting that on November 12 the 
Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved the National Policy 
for Assistance to Victims of Trafficking.  St. John offered 
assistance in both areas through workshops and seminars. 
Babandede enthusiastically stated that he would include such 
seminars in his work plan for 2009.  Babandede added that the 
federal government had finally begun to acknowledge the 
gravity of TIP when the FEC approved the National Action Plan 
on TIP on August 20; but that no implementation strategies 
were yet in place. 
 
¶4. (C) WOTCLEF:  During a November 13 meeting with St. John 
and Poloff, Veronica Umaru, National Coordinator of WOTCLEF 
explained that WOTCLEF chaired a nationwide working group, 
 
ABUJA 00002296  002 OF 002 
 
 
comprised of anti-TIP NGOs from across Nigeria.  Umaru 
promised to inform member NGOs about ICE and their abilities 
to investigate traffickers and assist victims in the U.S. 
St. John informed Umaru that if a trafficking victim was 
rescued in the U.S., they were allowed to remain indefinitely 
if they agreed to assist in the investigation of their 
trafficker.  St. John added that the victim's immediate 
family would also be brought to the U.S. and after three 
years, the victim would be eligible to apply for permanent 
residency.  If, however, a victim refused to provide any 
information, they would be deported upon completion of 
rehabilitation, which could take as long as a year.  Umaru, 
lamenting that Nigeria offered no such protection or 
provisions, expressed interest in having an ICE 
representative return to Nigeria to speak on these issues at 
the next stakeholder's meeting.  Umaru then offered to show 
St. John and Poloff the WOTCLEF shelter which housed 16 young 
people at the time.  Most of the children were in school at 
the time of the visit, but the shelter appeared clean and 
orderly. 
 
¶5. (C) IOM: On November 13, Tommaso De Cataldo, Chief of 
Party for the International Organization for Migration (IOM) 
in Nigeria shared with St. John and Poloff details of IOM's 
work with the Nigerian Immigration Service.  De Cataldo 
stated that IOM's goal for 2010 - 2013 was to strengthen the 
Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) document fraud unit.  De 
Cataldo noted that NIS has shown diligence in its efforts, 
but still needed to assess and restructure its organizational 
structure to reach optimal productivity.  In response to St. 
John's presentation about ICE, De Cataldo requested a speaker 
and/or training in the area of asset tracing and document 
fraud for NIS agents at a 2009 workshop planned and funded by 
IOM. 
 
¶6. (C) UNICEF:  During a November 13 meeting, Sharon Oladeji, 
Chief Protection Officer at UNICEF, informed St. John that 
she would be hesitant to collaborate with ICE due to 
confidentiality issues with victims.  Oladeji did however 
provide the name of a contact at the Nigeria Police Force 
Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command TIP Unit, who would 
be willing to share information about TIP investigations. 
Poloff agreed to reach out to this Police contact and will 
report back to St. John with any pertinent information. 
 
¶7. (C) COMMENT: Post believes the training conducted by ICE 
is a valuable asset; however, in order to increase 
prosecutions and convictions of so-called "kingpins", the GON 
needs additional investigative assistance, especially in the 
area of financial investigations.  The ability to build a 
case adequately and follow a money trail does not exist; 
until it does, the GON will continue to arrest only the 
lowest level criminals.  Based on responses from 
interlocutors, it is clear that victim assistance and 
protection is another area in need of help.  Although the FEC 
approved the Victim's Assistance National Action Plan, a 
strategy for implementation has yet to be developed.   We 
will monitor whether the GON's actions at this time are in 
preparation for the 2009 UN Human Rights Commission's 
Universal Periodic Review (ref A), or a true sign of action. 
END COMMENT. 
 
¶8. (U) This cable was coordinated with Consulate Lagos. 
Sanders