Olaleye Aluko and Leke Baiyewu

The Chinese government said on Thursday there was no Nigerian among the 29 foreign citizens in China with the coronavirus. Two of them were reported to have died.

China stated this on Thursday in its daily bulletin on coronavirus through its embassy in Abuja.

The statement read, “As of February 19, the National Health Commission had received 74,576 reports of confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland, including 2,118 deaths and 16,155 patients cured and discharged from hospital. There still remained 4,922 suspected cases.

“So far, 126,363 are now under medical observation, who have been identified as having had close contacts with infected patients. Also, 29 foreign citizens in China have been infected. Among them, 18 had recovered and were discharged from hospital, two were dead and nine are still under quarantine and treatment. No Nigerians are infected.”

Reps ask FG to address Benue strange, deadly disease

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has called on the Federal Government to respond to the “strange disease” killing people in communities in Benue State.

At the plenary on Thursday, the House unanimously adopted a motion moved by Mr Samson Okwu, titled ‘Urgent Need to investigate and Arrest the Looming Outbreak of Epidemic – Deadly Disease – in Oye-Obi of Orihi Council Ward, Obi Local Government Area, Benue State.’

Okwu said the disease had killed no fewer than 35 persons.

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The Minority Leader, Ndudi Elumelu, warned that the unnamed disease should not be allowed to spread beyond the current location.

The Deputy Speaker, Ahmed Wase, who presided over the session, said, “It calls for concerns; it is a serious matter.”

The House, adopting the motion, urged the Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Health, to send medical experts to Oye-Obi “to assess the situation with a view to arresting the ugly epidemic – deadly disease.”

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