Iran FM Holds Talks In Nigeria After Illegal Arms Shipment

Officials in Nigeria say Iran’s foreign minister flew to the country for talks following a recently discovered arms shipment allegedly from Iran.Nigerian officials confirmed that Manouchehr Mottaki met Thursday with his Nigerian counterpart Odein Ajumogobia in Lagos.Mr. Ajumogobia told Reuters news agency the talks centered on the weapons shipment. He said the Iranian foreign minister assured Nigeria of his government’s cooperation in the investigation surrounding the weapons.The weapons shipment was seized by Nigeria’s secret service two weeks ago in Lagos and found to contain rockets, rifle rounds, grenades and other explosives.
A French-based shipping company that delivered the weapons says the shipment came from Iran. The company said labels on the crates had indicated they contained stone and glass wool.Israeli officials have said the weapons were bound for the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. A Hamas leader in Gaza denied the weapons were headed to Gaza.Nigeria has been on alert since a bombing near an October 1 independence day celebration killed 12 people.A Nigerian militant group, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, claimed responsibility for the attack – Voanews