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Fifteen Nigerians have reportedly been incarcerated for life in various Iranian prisons on drug related charges, the Nigerian deputy ambassador to Iran, Ganiyu Lawal,

has informed. He also raised an alarm over the increasing incidence of human traffickers who now use the Iranian route to smuggle Nigerians to Europe, adding that there was obviously a criminal syndicate at work at the Iranian embassy because those caught often have authentic Iranian visas stamped at its embassy in Abuja.

He made this known Wednesday night at a dinner hosted at the ambassador’s residence in Tehran, Iran to honor visiting Nigerian journalists, adding that very few Nigerians involved in legal transactions choose to come to Iran because of the social and economic restrictions in the country. The envoy thus called on the media to do more to sensitize the government and public on the harsh penalties meted out by the Persians to drug traffickers and anybody in general caught breaking their very strict laws.

Meanwhile, the Iran Khodro (IKCO) Group, makers of the Samand and Runna brands, has revealed that it is in talks with Nigerian associates to begin exporting cars into the Nigerian market. Founded in 1962, IKCO is described as a world class manufacturer of cars with strategic partnerships with global carmakers like Peugeot, Mercedes Benz, Renault and Suzuki.