The Embassy of China in Abuja on Wednesday described the legal actions instituted by 25 top Nigerians against China over the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic was shoddy, with zero basis in facts, law or International precedence.
Top 25 Nigerians citizens including a traditional ruler on Monday, July 6th 2020, instituted a court action at the Abuja division of the Federal High Court, claiming $200 billion as damages against the Chinese Government and seven other institutions in the country for untold hardship, deaths and disruption of socio-economic activities, among others, they suffered in Nigeria.
The Embassy said in a statement via its verified twitter handle on Wednesday that the attention of the Embassy was drawn “to the supposed legal action via some recent local media reporting,” stating that China, like every other country, is a victim of the pandemic and acted responsibly from the outset to protect people’s life and health and safeguard public health.
According to the statement, “Our attention has been drawn to some recent local media reporting that “Nigerians drag China to court and seek compensation over COVID-19 Pandemic. The attempt to file frivolous lawsuits is a shoddy one, as it has zero basis in fact, law or international precedence.
“The Embassy made its position on this issue very clearly in a statement issued on April 30 and here wishes to reiterate it: COVID-19 has caught the whole world by surprise. China, like other countries, is a victim. Confronted by an unknown virus, we have acted responsibly to protect people’s life and health and safeguard global public health.
“China was the first country to report cases to WHO and promptly share information with relevant countries and regions, the first to sequence the genome of the virus. And share it with the world, and the first to publish guidelines for treatment and containment.
“Once we sensed the severity of the situation, we 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. All this was achieved at an enormous cost and with huge sacrifice.”
The embassy said China’s record of COVID-19 response is there for the world to see, with a clear timeline and solid facts that will stand the test of time and history.
The Embassy stated that some people are clamoring for so-called “ accountability and compensation” from a victim of COVID-19 and they are fabricating so-called ” evidence” for frivolous lawsuits.
It noted that such people are trampling on international rule of law and betraying human conscience, and their action does not square with facts, stand up to reason or have any legal foundation.
The Embassy stated that China and Nigeria have always been a community with a shared future, stressing that in the fight against COVID-19, solidarity and cooperation is our most powerful weapon.
It emphasized that at this critical moment, the Embassy again urges some Nigerian legal practitioners to do more things to enhance mutual trust.
The Embassy urged the legal practitioners to help pandemic prevention and control in both countries rather than dancing to the tune of a certain country to hype up the situation.