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INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 000309 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/31/2017 
TAGS: KJUS KCRM PGOV PREL NARC NI
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S COURTESY CALL ON NEW MINISTER OF 
POLICE AFFAIRS 
 
Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Lisa Piascik for reasons 1.4 (b 
& d). 
 
 ¶1. (SBU) Summary.  The Ambassador met with newly appointed 
Minister of Police Affairs Dr. Ibrahim Yakubu Lame on 
February 10. Dr. Lame presented the Nigerian Government,s 
(GON) efforts to reform the police in order to improve 
Nigerian internal security as part of President Yar,Adua,s 
Seven Point Agenda. The Ambassador suggested that the U.S. 
Mission could assist the GON through our various existing 
programs.  The Minister (U.S. educated at Ohio University) 
agreed to coordinate further, including providing a 
representative from the NPF for the Framework for Partnership 
Working Groups on law enforcement between the Mission and 
Nigerian Law Enforcement to discuss areas of common concern 
particularly on our progress on forensic investigation. The 
Ambassador emphasized the need for improved cooperation on 
the part of the GON if USG assistance is to be fruitful. END 
SUMMARY. 
 
 
Police Reform Agenda 
----------------------------------------- 
¶2.  (SBU)  On February 10, 2009, the Ambassador made a 
courtesy call to the Ministry of Police Affairs (MPA) in 
Abuja. USG participants included the Ambassador, INLOff and 
RSO (notetaker). MPA participants included Dr. Lame, Minister 
of Police Affairs, Mr. Ben Ibe, Director of Police Affairs 
and Dr. Kassim Gidabo, Special Assistant. Minister Lame 
received his Ph.D from Ohio University, Athens, Ohio in 1980. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Dr. Lame indicated that the Yar'Adua administration 
had convened a Committee on Police Reform. A comprehensive 
report was produced but had not yet been issued. He indicated 
the report would make recommendations in four to five areas. 
First, the need to build the capacity of the Nigeria Police 
Force (NPF). Lame envisioned  extending the training period 
for recruits from six months to a yearwith the Defense 
Academy's program to strengthen officer training. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Lame indicated that police officers' salaries and 
benefits,  including housing allowances and pensions, needed 
to be increased. He noted that NPF is in arrears in assuring 
monthly payment of pensions (accumulated total arrears of 37 
billion Naira or USD 250 million) and of salaries 
(accumulated total arrears of 12 billion Naira or USD 81 
million).  He added that his Ministry was collaborating with 
some Nigerian states, local governments and businesses to 
improve logistics, transportation and allowances for 
officers. 
 
¶5. (SBU) The third area was to improve the public image of 
the NPF and the self-confidence and pride of police officers, 
which he admitted were very low. 
 
¶6. (SBU) The fourth area was to improve the NPF's capacity to 
prevent crimes and intercommunal violence by gathering 
intelligence and developing sources.  He also indicated that 
evidence collection and forensic analysis are currently weak. 
There are currently only two forensics labs and that he 
intended on establishing others. He stated that his focus 
will be on increasing resources first, then eventually 
expected forensic labs in all six regional zones. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Dr. Lame noted that all of these reforms will 
require massive resources. (Note: the 381,000 Police staff is 
three times the size of that of the Army and two times the 
size of the Civil Service.End Note). He pointed out that 
Nigeria was not close to the UN's recommended ratio of one 
police officer for each 400 civilians. He estimated that the 
recommendations of the &white paper8 would cost 3 trillion 
Naira or USD 20 billion and estimated the current annual 
police budget to be 20 billion Naira or USD 135 million for 
capital expenses, and a total operating budget of 200 billion 
Naira or USD 1.35 billion. 
 
Seven Pilot Cities Crime Prevention and Control Strategy 
--------------------------------------------- 
¶8. (SBU) In line with the priorities of the Nigerian Federal 
Government,  Dr. Lame indicated that seven pilot cities 
namely FCT-Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Onitsha, Kano 
and Maiduguri have been identified for special crime 
prevention and control strategy. The strategy plan is to 
reduce the incidence of crime by at least 50% within one year 
by focusing additional resources to ensure the delivery of 
efficient and effective police services in these pilot areas. 
The items requested include vehicles, arms and ammunition, 
sea boats and equipment, dogs and horses, explosive ordinance 
disposal equipment, surveillance equipment, communication 
network. New units such as anti-terrorist units, rapid 
deployment units and community policing units will be 
 
ABUJA 00000309  002 OF 002 
 
 
deployed . A criminal database and internet access at all 
police stations in the pilot areas would also be developed. 
Dr. Lame also indicated that the efforts to reduce crime will 
include the use of community policing methods and public 
private partnerships with businesses and informal policing 
units consisting of citizens. The total cost is approximately 
5 billion Naira or USD 34 million. If the pilot is 
successful, then the strategy will gradually be deployed 
nationwide. 
 
US Assistance to the Nigerian Police Force 
--------------------------------------------- 
¶9. (SBU) The Ambassador underscored that the U.S. is ready to 
support the Nigerian Police Force through the Mission,s 
various programs to include: recent US AID TIP workshops; the 
Mission,s Law Enforcement Working Groups; training 
opportunities at the International Law Enforcement Academies 
in Botswana and Roswell; and the Department,s Anti-Terrorism 
Assistance programs. The Ambassador informed Dr. Lame that 
our past efforts to build institutional capacity had not 
always been fruitful as the GON did not always respond to 
training offers in a timely manner which had resulted in 
training funds being redirected to other countries and 
projects.  The Ambassador requested a point of contact be 
established to improve the cooperation between the U.S. 
Mission and the MPA and received a commitment from the 
Minister to send his representative to the Framework for 
Partnership Working Groups and to respond with information 
concerning Human Rights issues. 
10.(C)Comment: The new Minister is a US educated academic who 
appears properly armed with the requisite educational 
background to tackle fundamental problems relating to NPF 
finances and efforts to train and develop competent 
personnel. He served briefly as a Senator in 1992 and was the 
People's Democratic Party's pioneer Deputy National Secretary 
before serving as the Senior Special Assistant to former 
President Olusegun Obasanjo in 1999. Because he does not have 
any professional experience with the NPF, he faces a 
monumental task as there will be significant resistance to 
institutional change in the notoriously corrupt police and he 
will likely have difficulties receiving needed funding for 
his initiatives. However, if he succeeds in reforming the 
police, internal security would be significantly improved in 
Nigeria. 
(U) This cable was coordinated with Consulate Lagos 
SANDERS