China Dismisses Lawsuit Filed by Nigerians over COVID-19

The Chinese Government has described the decision by Nigerians to institute a law suit against it to seek compensation as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic as shoddy, saying it has zero basis in law or international precedence. The reaction of the Chinese Government may not be unconnected with media reports that “Nigerians have dragged China to court to seek compensation over the COVID-19 pandemic.” The Chinese Mission in Abuja stated this in a statement issued on Wednesday, where it said China, like other countries, was a victim of the virus. It said despite being confronted by an unknown virus, China has acted responsibly to protect people’s life and health as well as safeguard global public health. The mission said: "The attempt to file frivolous lawsuits is a shoddy one, as it has zero basis in fact, law or international precedence. "Some people are clamoring for the so-called accountability and compensation from a victim of COVID-19, and they are fabricating the so-called ‘evidence’ for frivolous lawsuits. "These people are trampling on international rule of law and betraying human conscience. Their action does not square with facts, stand up to reasoning or have any legal foundation." China said it was the first country to report cases of the pandemic to World Health Organisation (WHO) and promptly share information with relevant countries and regions, and the first to sequence the genome of the virus and share it with the world, as well as the first to publish guidelines for treatment and containment. It noted that once the country sensed the severity of the situation, it made a tough decision that cut off the route of transmission in the shortest possible time and stopped the fast-spreading virus in its tracks. The Chinese government noted that all these were achieved at an enormous cost and with huge sacrifice, stressing that China’s record of COVID-19 response is there for the world to see, with a clear timeline and solid facts that would stand the test of time and history. "China and Nigeria have always been a community with a shared future. In the fight against COVID-19, solidarity and cooperation is our most powerful weapon. At this critical moment, we once again urge some Nigerian legal practitioners to do more things to enhance mutual trust and help pandemic prevention and control in both countries, rather than dancing to the tune of a certain country to hype up the situation," it added.