Chinese
China admits to destroying early coronavirus samples, says action was taken due to safety concerns
China has acknowledged it destroyed early samples of COVID-19, confirming a claim put forward by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo late last month. On Friday, Liu Dengfeng, a supervisor with China’s National Health Commission, admitted that ‘the Chinese government issued an order on January 3 to dispose of coronavirus samples’ at unauthorized laboratories, according to Newsweek. But Liu denied that the samples were destroyed as part of a cover-up, insisting that they were disposed of so as to ‘prevent risk to laboratory biological safety and prevent secondary disasters caused by unidentified pathogens.’ He stated that the labs were ‘unauthorized’ to handle such samples, and they had to be terminated in order to comply with Chinese public health laws. Liu did not specify how many labs des...
Odion Ighalo would like to end his career at Manchester United – trainer
According to Odion Ighalo’s personal trainer, the former Super Eagles of Nigeria star would like to remain at Manchester United for the rest of his career. The striker’s future is an uncertain one: he is officially on loan at United until May 31, but the Red Devils are keen to extend this period to allow him to feature if and when the season resumes in the coming weeks. However, Igahlo’s parent club, Shanghai Shenhua, want the player to return to their stable for the start of the next Chinese Super League season. United are also not seeking a permanent deal for the former Super Eagles spearhead. Despite being in this awkward situation, Ighalo’s has remained focused on keeping himself fight and ready for action while under lockdown in Lagos. “He’s a wonderful athlete, I’ve never seen someon...
Two Chinese nationals arraigned for offering N100 million bribe to EFCC officials
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Sokoto Zonal office on Friday, May 15, 2020 arraigned the duo of Meng Wei Kun and Xui Kuoi, both Chinese, before Justice Mohammed Sa’idu Sifawa of the State High Court Sokoto on two- count charges of conspiracy and offering bribe to a public servant to the tune of N100, 000, 000.00 (One Hundred Million Naira). The defendants were docked for allegedly offering to bribe the EFCC Sokoto Zonal Head, Mr. Abdullahi Lawal with the sum of one hundred million naira (N100, 000.000.00) on behalf of a construction company: China Zhonghao Nig. Ltd, which is being investigated over contracts awarded it by the Zamfara State Government in the sum of over Fifty Billion Naira (N50, 000,000,000.00) between 2012 to 2019. The EFCC is investigating the constru...
Court orders remand of two Chinese nationals who offered EFCC officer ‘N100 million bribe’
Sokoto State High Court presided over by Justice Sa’adu Sifawa on Friday ordered two Chinese to be remanded in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for allegedly attempting to bribe an EFCC officer with N50 million. The N50 million which is in the custody of the EFCC is said to be the first tranche of the alleged N100 million bribe offered the agency official. Mr Meng Wei Kun and Xu Kuoi were arraigned on a two-count charge bordering on conspiracy and offering bride to the commission’s zonal head. EFCC alleged the defendants offered bribe to it zonal head Abdullahi Lawal to compromise the ongoing investigation into he case against the defendants’ company Zhonghao Nigeria limited. The bribe was allegedly offered in a desperate bid to compromise ongoing investigations ...
Zamfara governor commends EFCC for exposing Chinese ‘fraudsters’
Zamfara State Governor Bello Matawalle has commended the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for exposing Chinese nationals who tried to block investigations against their alleged shoddy contract in the state. Two of the Chinese nationals, representing the company allegedly approached the EFCC zonal officer with a bribe of N100 million and were immediately arrested. Reacting to the development, Matawalle said the attempted bribery further confirmed his earlier accusation that the company only collected the contract sum without executing the project. He was quoted as saying: “I want to specifically commend the leadership of Ibrahim Magu and his able Zonal Head in Sokoto, Alhaji Lawal Abdullahi, for moving this case to a significant stage by this arrest and further proving to the...
NAFDAC warns against use of Chloroquine for coronavirus treatment
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has, again, warned Nigerians against taking Chloroquine as treatment for Coronavirus (COVID-19). “Nobody should buy Chloroquine and use it. If you have COVID-19, go to a doctor. We have warned Nigerians and shall do that again. Do not take Chloroquine,” Mojisola Adeyeye, NAFDAC’s Director General, told newsmen on Thursday in Abuja. “The delay in approving some of the drugs for treatment of the virus is because of the clinical trials the agency is carrying out on them. “So far, no group or individual has proffered any solution to the treatment or management of the pandemic,” she said. Mrs Adeyeye, a professor, said the Chinese government carried out lots of trials on Chloroquine before it approved its use for treatmen...
WHO warns virus may be here to stay as toll nears 300,000
The coronavirus may never go away and populations will have to learn to live with it just as they have HIV, the World Health Organization has warned, as the global death toll from the disease nears 300,000. There were also gloomy forecasts from the US Federal Reserve, which said prolonged shutdowns to stem the spread of the virus could cause lasting economic damage in America. Washington ratcheted up tensions over the pandemic by accusing China of trying to steal research into a vaccine, while US President Donald Trump upped the rhetoric with a colourful phrase that could anger Beijing. “We just made a great Trade Deal, the ink was barely dry, and the World was hit by the Plague from China. 100 Trade Deals wouldn’t make up the difference — and all those innocent lives lost!” Trump tweeted....
Chinese nationals arrested for alleged N50 million bribe
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has apprehended two Chinese nationals for allegedly offering bribe to the head of its Sokoto zonal office and his investigating team. The Chinese, Meng Wei Kun and Xu Kuoi of China Zhounghao Nigeria Limited, a construction company, were arrested in an operation that lasted four days. Parading the suspects on Tuesday, the zonal office head, Abdullahi Lawal, told newsmen the duo offered him and his investigating team the sum of one million naira to compromise him in an ongoing investigation into the company’s operations. “On May 7, 2020, I was contacted by the Managing Director, China Zhounghao Nig. Ltd, Mr Meng Wei Kun, in respect of an ongoing investigation against their company. I and my investigating team were offered the sum of N100m to compr...
Manchester United delay extension talks with Odion Ighalo
Manchester United are delaying talks of loan extension with Shanghai Shenhua striker Odion Ighalo who joined the Red Devils on a loan move from Chinese Super League in the January transfer. Manchester United reserved the right to make the move permanent based on the performance of the 30-year old striker at the Old Trafford. The former Super Eagle striker hit the ground running in the Red Devils colours having scored four goals in eight games for Manchester United. Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been impressed with the performance level of the former Watford striker and he has instructed the Old Trafford board to permanent his deal at the club. The Red Devils want to keep Ighalo for the remainder of this season, even if games go deep into the summer. Manchester United m...
