Coronavirus : Nigerians in China cry out as virus cases rise to 24,324

Nigerians in Wuhan, the Chinese city where Coronavirus originated from have cried out to the Federal Government, saying their lives are in danger.

The Nigerian Students Association in Wuhan has called on the Federal Government to urgently evacuate the 60 Nigerians in the city, adding that the the situation is worrisome.

The association appealed to the FG 24 hours after the House of Representatives resolved that Nigerians in Wuhan would not be evacuated.

The lawmakers had reportedly argued that it’s not necessary to evacuate Nigerians in the city because China has better facilities to handle the situation than Nigeria.

However, in a letter addressed to the Nigerian Ambassador to China, Amb. Ahmad Jidda, the students association explained that comprising 52 adults and eight children were at risk of contracting the disease which had so far claimed 490 lives, Punch reports.

The association in the letter dated February 5, 2020, also called on the Chairman, Nigerians in the Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa to see to the urgent evacuation of the stranded Nigerians in Wuhan.

The association also said it had earlier received a letter from Dabiri-Erewa on Monday, asking about the welfare of Nigerians in the Asian country.

In its reply to the letter, the group said it sent a letter dated February 4 requesting financial support for the 60 Nigerians in Wuhan.

The letter reads in part, “For clarification purpose, the amount to be provided is in response to the request made by the Chairman of NiDCOM and not the paramount need of Nigerians in Wuhan as a larger percentage of Nigerians in Wuhan still maintained their stand on evacuation.”

“Before the request, we submitted a letter to the Chairman of NiDCOM dated January 29 as well as the embassy dated January 31 through NIDO on the need for the urgent evacuation of Nigerians from Wuhan as the situation is quite worrisome and the lives of 60 Nigerians including eight children is at stake.”

However, according to China’s National Health Commission, 24,324 reports of coronavirus cases and 490 deaths on the Chinese mainland have been confirmed.