R 161227Z JAN 09
FM AMEMBASSY ABUJA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 5045

UNCLAS ABUJA 000090 
 
 
DEPT FOR DS/ITA, DS/IP/AF, DS/FPO 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ASEC KCRM KSAC NI
SUBJECT: ABUJA RESPONSE - ANNUAL CRIME EVALUATION 
QUESTIONNAIRE 
 
REF: 08 STATE 168473 
     08 STATE 132056 
 
¶1. Post's responses are keyed to reftel. 
 
Crime Mobility: Criminal elements generally roam freely at 
night, and are known to target EmbOff and affluent 
residential areas for burglary. 
 
RSO Comment - Abuja has experienced daytime robberies at popular 
restaurants and shopping areas in downtown Abuja where expats are 
known to congregate, but more often the crime occurs during hours 
of darkness.  Because of the relative ease in which criminals operate 
during the hours of darkness, particularly outside the Ring Road, 
the U.S. Embassy has restricted road travel outside Abuja city proper. 
 
¶2.  Crime Ambience (Around EMBOFF Neighborhoods): - 
Surrounded by low crime buffer zones, which are perceived as 
safe during the day, but are unsafe at night because of 
street crime. 
 
RSO Comment - No area in Abuja can be considered immune or 
free from criminal elements and criminal incidences can occur 
at any hour. For instance, vehicle thefts are prevalent throughout 
the country and occur at all hours. Additionally, thefts of personal 
property are reported on all modes of public transport and Abuja 
routinely experiences residential break-ins during the day. 
Use of public transportation is not recommended by Embassy staff. 
 
¶3. Aggressiveness of Criminals: - Do not avoid, and may seek 
violent confrontation with occupants during burglaries, and 
are not deterred by police response to alarm or emergency 
phone call. 
 
RSO Comment - Given that it is common knowledge that the police 
lack the resources and manpower to respond, even alarm 
activations are not always effective as a deterrent to criminals. 
 
¶4. Arming of Criminals: - Criminal perpetrators are usually 
carrying firearms (handguns or shoulder weapons). 
 
RSO Comment - Criminal perpetrators usually at a minimum, 
will be armed with knives, but just as often they are 
carrying firearms, normally AK-47s or hand guns. 
 
¶5. Aggression of Criminals: - Operate in groups of greater 
than four individuals, are disposed frequently to be 
confrontational and gratuitously violent, and prone to use 
deadly force on victims. 
 
RSO Comment - Individuals that fail to respond, resist, or 
are perceived to resist commands from criminals  are likely 
to receive an immediate and violent response.  For instance in 2007 
an American staff member was beaten with a rifle because he was 
perceived to not be cooperating fully with a street robbery. 
 
¶6. DETERRENCE/RESPONSE OF POLICE: - Local police or 
neighborhood associations are totally ineffective in 
deterring or disrupting burglaries and other crimes in EMBOFF 
neighborhoods, and seldom are able to apprehend or arrest 
suspects after the fact. 
 
RSO Comment - Often police vehicles do not have fuel and 
seldom respond in a timely manner, if at all.  Embassy 
provided vehicles are often required to facilitate police 
response.  In accordance with Nigerian laws, only the police 
are authorized weapons, therefore local security companies 
cannot deter serious criminals. 
 
¶7. Training/professionalism of Police: - Police are somewhat 
unprofessional and ill trained; they are demonstratively 
apathetic to alarms and investigation of incidents in Emboffs 
neighborhoods; they have serious resource/manpower 
limitations that inhibit their deterrence or response 
effectiveness. 
 
RSO Comment - The upper echelons of police force are 
responsive to our security and investigative requests but 
their directives often do not effectively flow down to the 
rank and file.  The Nigerian National Police Force has 
historically been under funded and as a result initiated a 
fund raising campaign to assist in buying needed force 
equipment.  Morale in the police force is low because of low 
pay and a payroll system that operates very inefficiently. 
The police use their frequent check points more often to 
harass and receive funds rather than deter crime.  As a 
result of these factors and the economic condition of the 
country, corruption and lack of professionalism will remain 
an issue for the Nigerian police force for the foreseeable 
future. 
 
PIASCIK