VZCZCXYZ0003
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHUJA #2117/01 3281310
ZNR UUUUU ZZH (CCY ADDF835B MSI3932-695)
P 241310Z NOV 09 ZDS
FM AMEMBASSY ABUJA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7558
INFO RUEHOS/AMCONSUL LAGOS 2349
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0625
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE
RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE
RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE

UNCLAS ABUJA 002117 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
C O R R E C T E D COPY CAPTION ADDED 
 
STATE FOR AF/FO, AF/W, AF/RSA, DRL, INR/AA, S/CIEA, AF/PDPA 
DEPARTMENT PASS TO USAID FOR AFR/WA (DALZOUMA) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM PINS PTER KDEM NI
 
SUBJECT: NIGERIA: BINATIONAL COMMISSION: GTI FOCUSED GROUP ON 
ANTI-CORRUPTION GAME PLAN 
 
REF: (A) ABUJA 2016 
 (B) ABUJA 2046 
 (C) ABUJA 2052 
 
¶1. (SBU) Mission Nigeria has met several times over the last 12 
months to review current and proposed initiatives to improve 
transparency, good governance, and fight corruption. Some of these 
measures could be captured under the proposed Binational Commission's 
Good Governance, Transparency and Integrity (GTI) Working Group and 
the proposed separate focus group on corruption.  The Mission is 
providing game plans for each of the proposed BNC working groups and 
two proposed sub-working groups under GTI.  Reftels contain Mission 
game plans for Energy and Investment, and Niger Delta and Regional 
Security Cooperation.  Ref A on the Elections Action Plan will be 
recast under GTI once we receive final formal approval from 
Washington on BNC themes.  We understand that BNC discussions remain 
ongoing in Washington, therefore these plans will be 
recast/readjusted accordingly pending final decisions on the BNC. 
END SUMMARY 
 
--------------------------------------- 
CURRENT USG ANTI-CORRUPTION INITIATIVES 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) The Mission's current work plan seeks to provide a framework 
for systematic, strategic assistance to Nigeria to fight 
institutionalized corruption.  The USG has actively engaged in 
various areas during the last 12 months to help the Nigerian 
Government (GON) build their capacity to fight corruption through 
improved prevention, detection, investigation, and prosecution.  We 
have encouraged the GON to follow through on key prosecutions 
involving corrupt former officials, including governors. 
Illustrative examples of specific current assistance that we hope to 
build upon follow: 
 
-- Arranged for U.S.-based law enforcement instructors (e.g., from 
the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Homeland Security, 
Drug Enforcement Administration, Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and 
Explosives Bureau) to train Nigerian police and legal personnel at a 
six-week Law Enforcement Executive Development (LEED) program.  This 
program includes modules on ethics, combating white collar crime, and 
money laundering, etc. 
 
--Organized a GON-interagency Database and Automated Record Working 
Group to facilitate the ability of Nigerian law enforcement entities 
to share data across agencies in order to better investigate and 
prosecute financial crimes and corruption. 
 
--Monitored efforts to introduce greater transparency in government 
at the state level, to deter payroll and tax fraud through the use of 
biometrics and electronic payments.  Success in this project would 
demonstrate Nigerian capacity where political will exists and provide 
replicable methodologies for addressing areas susceptible to 
corruption. 
 
--Arranged for nine Anti-Terrorism Assistance (ATA) training courses 
since 2007 in Critical Incident Management, Interdicting Terrorist 
Activities, Senior Crisis Management, ICE-Bulk Cash Smuggling 
Workshop, Terrorism Crime Scene Investigation, Airport Security 
Management, VIP Protection, VIP Protection Management, and Regional 
Fraudulent Documents. 
 
--Trained officials of NFIU, SEC and CBN in Financial Forensics to 
detect fraud and corruption within Nigerian financial institutions. 
Qdetect fraud and corruption within Nigerian financial institutions. 
 
-- Trained NDLEA commanders at ILEA on Drug Unit Commander Course to 
enhance their skill to detect collusion between their officers and 
traffickers. 
 
--Installed body scanner x-ray machines and drug-explosive- 
detection itemizers at four international airports in Nigeria, and 
trained NDLEA officers on the use of the scanners and drug kits to 
interdict drug traffickers. 
 
--Trained Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the 
Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) participants on more 
energetic investigations and prosecutions of corrupt officials. 
 
--Worked with EFCC to go after delinquent businesses that have 
 
committed tax fraud. 
 
--Worked with the Central Bank of Nigeria to support proposed banking 
regulation, and a draft manual on anti-money-laundering that will 
require banks to report large movements of cash between accounts by 
Politically Exposed Persons. 
 
--Worked with National Assembly to pass Cybercrime Bill and enhance 
judges' understanding of electronic evidence in prosecuting 
cybercrimes. 
 
--Trained police in community policing techniques. 
 
--Assisted under USAID's Country Strategy program to build 
state capacity to have more transparency in state budgets with 
two focused states and local government level. 
 
--Started discussions with Nigerian tax authorities (Federal Inland 
Revenue Service or FIRS) on receiving training on audits and 
suspicious transactions from Treasury's Office of Technical 
Assistance (OTA). OTA will follow-up their initial visit in December 
2009 with a formal offer to FIRS on what type of assistance it would 
like to receive. 
 
-- Implementing steps for retired DEA agent to work with the Nigerian 
National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for six months.  GON 
approved the position three months ago. 
 
---------------------------------------- 
PROPOSED USG ANTI-CORRUPTION INITIATIVES 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) As part of our overall BNC game plan, Mission Nigeria 
proposes to move forward with additional anti-corruption initiatives. 
 Broadening the scope of this GTI-focus group would allow promotion 
of additional law enforcement activities under its auspices, 
including bolstering of recent naming and shaming efforts by the 
Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), police and customs training, and 
capacity building for the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) 
and the National Agency for Food and Drug Enforcement (NAFDEC) for 
the protection of Intellectual Property Rights and drug integrity, 
and reducing counterfeiting.  Contingent on availability of funding, 
examples of additional activities could include: 
 
-- Providing inter-agency training to CBN, EFCC, IPCC, and the Code 
of Conduct Bureau on investigating and managing corruption cases; 
 
-- Working with the Coordinator for Counter-Terrorism (S/CT), FBI, 
Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC), and the 
International Criminal Investigative Training and Assistance Program 
(ICITAP) to provide Anti-Terrorism Assistance (ATA) training early in 
2010; 
--Building on OTA program to assist the Nigerian tax authorities with 
investigations training and enforcement technical assistance.  Yet 
another area of potential assistance is collecting taxes from the 
independent joint ventures that would be created by the proposed 
Petroleum Industry Bill. 
-- Sponsoring additional candidates for the Law Enforcement Executive 
Development (LEED) program at the International Law Enforcement 
Academy (ILEA).   A special session could be offered in Nigeria or 
within West Africa. 
 
-- Sending select Nigerian law enforcement officers to 
anti-corruption and financial crimes training programs at the FBI 
Quantico Academy or INL's International Law Enforcement Academies. 
 
-- Providing state civil service bodies, finance ministries, and 
internal revenue services with training in payroll fraud detection 
Qinternal revenue services with training in payroll fraud detection 
and tax fraud investigation.   Edo state asked for help in all three 
entities; Bayelsa specifically asked for help with help in countering 
pay-roll fraud. 
 
-- Promoting approval of a Freedom of Information Act statute to help 
the public gain better access to government documents as a way of 
promoting greater transparency; 
 
-- Establishing a sensitive investigative (vetted) unit within the 
National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to assist with sharing 
of sensitive information. 
 
 
 
-- Assessing training capacity of Nigerian police academies to train 
officers on modern policing techniques and decrease corruption by 
police officers. 
 
-- Working with CBN to establish a new office on anti-money 
laundering and counter-terrorist financing. 
-- Establishing a new banking manual for training CBN examiners to 
work with NFIU. 
 
-- Conducting assessments of operations by Customs to prevent fraud 
and the entry of counterfeit goods at ports and detect collusion 
between law enforcement officials and smugglers. 
 
-- Providing a counter-narcotics advisor to deal with internal 
affairs issues and detect corruption among NDLEA officers. 
 
-- Providing a legal advisor to help the GON revamp aspects of 
Nigeria's legal framework by working with the National Assembly to 
pass the pending civil forfeiture bill. 
 
¶4. (SBU) If there is a policy decision to provide training to entry- 
and mid-level permanent EFCC permanent employees, we could: 
 
-- Provide training to develop institutional knowledge and 
capabilities on investigations and prosecutions. 
 
-- Build capacity of NFIU staff to generate quality data on 
suspicious transactions. 
 
-- Arrange for an FBI advisor to assist the EFCC with investigations 
and prosecutions of corrupt, former governors. 
 
-- Sponsor a Regional Legal Advisor to serve the dual function of 
building capacity of EFCC prosecutors and of training judges in 
management of complex financial crimes cases and implementing civil 
forfeiture legislation. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Mission Country Team Members will continue to coordinate 
closely on identifying and pursuing different types of 
anti-corruption assistance that the USG could provide in support of 
the BNC's anti-corruption elements. 
 
¶6. (U) Embassy coordinated this telegram with ConGen Lagos.