Cablegate: Nigeria: Implementing Unscr 1333

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS ABUJA 002416

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EFIN PREL PTER NI
SUBJECT: NIGERIA: IMPLEMENTING UNSCR 1333

REF: STATE 162495

Sensitive but Unclassified, please protect accordingly.

1. Reftel demarche was delivered September 20 to Central Bank
Governor Joseph Sanusi and September 21 to Assistant Director
M.K. Ibrahim of the International Organizations Department of
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Governor Sanusi, while
unaware of the reporting requirements per UNSCR 1333, was
supportive of the worldwide effort to prevent Usama bin Laden
and the al-Qaeda network from accessing their financial
assets. Sanusi asked for a copy of the SCR, which Post
provided. He said that the Central Bank would review the SCR
and the reporting requirements. However, the CBN would need
more specific information on the accounts and names of people
targeted by UNSCR 1333. With this information, Sanusi
averred, the CBN could send circulars to all banks in Nigeria
requesting that they search for such information.

2. MFA Assistant Director Ibrahim also offered his support
for the measures described in UNSCR 1333. While Ibrahim
admitted he was familiar with UNSCR 1333 (as a result of the
1998 Embassy bombings), he doubted that the GON had taken
measures to implement the resolution. Ibrahim promised he
would review the SCR this weekend and write a report
recommending actions the GON could take. Ibrahim commented
that these terrorists very likely launder their money from
drugs and arms trading. Econoff agreed and pointed out that
Nigeria was a haven for money laundering and had recently
been designated as a non-cooperative country by the FATF.
Ibrahim replied that the GON had responded, albeit late, to
the FATF questionnaire, adding that the GON "now recognized
the importance of this issue to the international community".

3. Neither CBN Governor Sanusi nor MFA Assistant Director
Ibrahim knew whether Nigeria had signed or ratified the UN
Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism.
Ibrahim promised to find out whether the GON had signed or
intended to sign the Convention.
Andrews

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