Nigerians sue China for $200B over coronavirus pandemic

ANKARA (AA) - A group of Nigerians filed a lawsuit against the Chinese government and related institutions over the coronavirus pandemic, local media reported on Tuesday.

According to local daily This Day, 25 Nigerian nationals have moved the high court of Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory and are seeking $200 billion for losses caused by the pandemic.

Among the respondents named in the lawsuit are the People’s Republic of China, the Communist Party of China, the National Health Commission and the minister in charge of it, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The petitioners have accused them of negligence and violations of environmental and humanitarian rights, according to the report.

They contend that China breached international laws by not informing the World Health Organization about the COVID-19 outbreak on time, terming it “express neglect of an international obligation.”

The claimants said the pandemic continues to cause heavy financial losses, with “volatility of the market leading to a decline in investment” even after lockdowns ended.

Nigeria’s coronavirus outbreak still seems far from over, with more than 500 new cases pushing the total number of infections beyond 29,000 on Tuesday.

According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), 575 more COVID-19 cases and nine fatalities were recorded in the country over the past 24 hours.

“Till date, 29,286 cases have been confirmed, 11,828 cases have been discharged, and 654 deaths have been recorded in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory,” read an NCDC update.

Nigeria has the third highest number of cases in Africa, after Egypt and South Africa.

The total number of infections across the continent is now near 495,000, with over 11,600 deaths and more than 238,000 recoveries, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

Across the world, COVID-19 has claimed over 539,000 lives in 188 countries and regions since emerging in China last December.

More than 11.66 million cases have been reported worldwide, with the US, Brazil, India, and Russia currently the worst-hit countries, according to figures compiled by the US’ Johns Hopkins University.

The data shows more than 50% of all patients worldwide -- over 6.33 million -- have recovered so far.