I know this is news but for $700bn!!!

Nigeria: Meningitis - FG Sues Pfizer $700bn
Vanguard (Lagos)

5 June 2007
Posted to the web 5 June 2007

Ise-Oluwa Ige
Abuja

The Federal Government has sued the world largest pharmaceutical company, Pfizer, before a Federal high court sitting in Abuja for allegedly maiming or and killing in 1996, not fewer than 200 children afflicted in Kano state by bacterial meningitis through alleged illegal experimentation of its products, Trovafloxacin Mesylate, (Trovan) on them.

The government is asking the court to award $700billion damages against the pharmaceutical firm.

If the damages is awarded, it is capable of closing down the operation of the pharmaceutical firm.

In the writ of summons filed at the registry of the high court, nine other persons including the medical personnel that allegedly administered the Trovan on the victims for the purpose of testing the potency of the drug, were named as co-defendants.

They include Pfizer Nigeria Limited, William Steere, Samuel Ohanbuwa, A Dogunro, Isa Dutse, Scott Hopkin, Mike Dunne, Debra Williams and Robert Buhl.

But the management of the Pfizer International Incorporated has served a notice through its counsel, Chief Afe Babalola (SAN) that it would challenge the competence of the entire case and collapse the claim by the Federal Government.

Chief Afe Babalola (SAN) who appeared personally in the case yesterday also requested for an accelerated hearing of the case.

He particularly said in court yesterday that the damages being sought by the Federal Government was more than its annual budget and that it should not have any problem with the accelerated hearing of the case so that it could claim the sought damages.

The trial high court judge, Justice Babs Kuewumi hearing the case has granted the request for accelerated hearing of the suit and has ordered the government to furnish the firm. all relevant papers in the matter.

The matter is scheduled for mention on June 26, this year while full blown trial kicks off in July.

The background of the case as captured by the statement of claim filed by the Federal Government was that on or about the month of April 1996, there was an epidemic of bacterial meningitis, measles and cholera in parts of Northern Nigeria particularly Kano State and some of the victims and/or patients were receiving medical attention at the Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH) through the joint efforts of the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Kano State Government of Nigeria.

The joint efforts of the Federal Government and the Kano State Government to combat and contain the epidemic were complemented by the humanitarian assistance and supplies donated by Non-governmental Organizations including Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), the Nobel Prize-winning humanitarian relief organization also known as "Doctors Without Borders".

The epidemic was extremely ravaging and as such there was a limitation of space and resources which limitation led to MSF setting up its tent on the grounds of the IDH from where it attended to the patients and/or victims.

The Federal Government contends that in the midst of the epidemic, Pfizer, acting by itself and through its agents, devised a scheme under which it misrepresented, concealed and failed to disclose its primary motive in seeking to participate in giving care to the victims of the epidemic in Kano.

uhnm!
hahahaha!!

What a joke, $700bn? Maybe they mean $700mn!

No it's $7 billion

What a joke, $700bn? Maybe they mean $700mn!

joke is right ---- the BACTERIA killed them, not the drug company!

joke is right ---- the BACTERIA killed them, not the drug company!

No, its the drugs that gave them the meningitis and caused the whole epidemic in 1996. Thats why its 700bn, Pfizer started an epidemic that endangered the lives of more than a million people!!

Nigeria case against Pfizer delayed By SALISU RABIU, Associated Press Writer
Mon Jun 4, 7:27 AM ET



KANO, Nigeria - Lawyers for a northern Nigeria state seeking $2 billion in damages from Pfizer Inc. over allegations of wrongdoing in a decades-old drug study failed to show up for the first court proceedings Monday and the case was postponed.

id criminal proceedings lodged against company officers now would begin July 4, while a related civil case seeking the monetary damages would begin July 9.

Officials in northern Nigeria's Kano state and company officials weren't immediately available for comment. Nigeria's government is in disarray after the May 29 inauguration of new governors, state assemblies and elected federal officers, including a new president.

New York-based Pfizer, the world's largest drug maker, has denied any wrongdoing. A federal court in Manhattan dismissed a 2001 lawsuit by disabled Nigerians who allegedly took part in the study, but the case is under appeal.

In all such cases, the case would be either lost by the govt or minimum damages would have to be given by the company.

But some govt officials and lawyers are sure gonna have a new foreign property/bank account.

As a doctor, could you explain to me how this drug can cause meningitis?

The cheek of it, many more Nigerians have died due to the indirect effects of corruption.

so wot r u sayin ..tht because people have died from corruption they should let this wrongdoin slide

The Federal Government has sued the world largest pharmaceutical company, Pfizer, before a Federal high court sitting in Abuja for allegedly maiming or and killing in 1996, not fewer than 200 children afflicted in Kano state by bacterial meningitis through alleged illegal experimentation of its products, Trovafloxacin Mesylate, (Trovan) on them.

Wait my bad, they killed em by testing them illegally but they already had meningitis!!

iluvnaija, perhaps there should be a class action claim from the Nigerian people about the money that has ended up in politicians accounts rather than in health services. How can you sue a foreign company when the government itself is siphoning off funds? My friends mum works for a British medical supplies company which supplies hospitals in Naija, and she can tell you a story or two about how senior government health officials are stealing money and requiring bribes for supplies contracts.

But I do agree though, as a doctor, I very much doubt the drug was the cause of the death but it should be investigated thouroghly anyway.

so basically all the kids that took the drug got sick from another reason co incidentally. And please government siphoning of money has gone drastically down.

so basically all the kids that took the drug got sick from another reason co incidentally. And please government siphoning of money has gone drastically down.

Don't be stupid or naive, siphoning money occured worst in the latter years of OBASANJO's regime.

If people dont believe that there's still serious corruption in Nigeria then they're dreaming. It has improved, but only marginally.

If there was no approval for the trial then Pfizer should be taken to task. The reason Western companies think they can get away with these crimes is that they know that African governments dont care about their own people and if necessary, a quick bribe would hush everyone. However, in this case, I believe the government was FULLY aware of Pfizer and had given approval for the study. The truth will come out eventually.

I read the report, they say 100 kids were given the drug, 100 another standard drug as a placebo control (but ALLEGEDLY given at a lower dose than recommended). 11 kids died and others were left disabled in someway.

they have to pay for the massacre to console the country even if it's few billions.

What a joke, $700bn? Maybe they mean $700mn!

This is why i avoid debating about figures with most Nigerians (Matthias, no offence and i don't want to generalize). If a reputable newspaper like vanguard can report a $700 billion lawsuit, then i am afraid we have some really big problems with counting. This would have to be the biggest lawsuit ever filed in mankind. :ohno:

pleasse let be at leats courteous. i made a statement didnt have to result in u callin me stupid. and please i know that there was still rougery in obj's government but you cant compare it to the military era. i tell u it has gone dwn compared to thn

pleasse let be at leats courteous. i made a statement didnt have to result in u callin me stupid. and please i know that there was still rougery in obj's government but you cant compare it to the military era. i tell u it has gone dwn compared to thn

I has gone done but rather more people are involved!! During military era, thieving rites were restricted to the army,now any one can enjoy!! If this is a sign of change i don't know but i don't know how much longer Nigeria can take it!!

This is why i avoid debating about figures with most Nigerians (Matthias, no offence and i don't want to generalize). If a reputable newspaper like vanguard can report a $700 billion lawsuit, then i am afraid we have some really big problems with counting. This would have to be the biggest lawsuit ever filed in mankind. :ohno:They may have meant 700 billion Naira.

They may have meant 700 billion Naira.

Well the dollar sign is the most well-understood currency sign in Nigeria trust me. Perhaps if this was in some other country where the dollar is not all that well known i would understand. Its more got to do with editorial professionalism in West Africa being mostly non-existant. When we first expanded into West Africa, i was surprised how so unprofessional the journalists were in Ghana. Huge spelling mistakes, complete factual errors, wrong figures, with bold statements that are completely wrong.

Many of the journalists there would not make the grade anywhere else. Only a few were good enough. Don't even get started on the printing quality of the newspaper. I think the profession really have to weed out a lot of bad apples and they seem to make up the majority. Even when you had given the journalist a press release to literally read from and simply type it up for his newspaper as is, they still managed to "edit" it and completely messed it up badly.

You're right about that. There is always mistakes in the Ghanaian media. Like saying the EU has donated $7billion to Ghana, when they mean $7million.

$700 billion?

Country Sues Pfizer Over Drug Trial Scandal

SciDev.Net (London)

6 June 2007
Posted to the web 7 June 2007

Faith Jones
Abuja

The Nigerian government is demanding US$7 billion in compensation from the pharmaceutical company Pfizer for damages resulting from a clinical trial run by the company in April 1996.

Pfizer administered an experimental antibiotic called Trovan to 233 children with bacterial meningitis during an epidemic in the northern Nigerian state of Kano.

The government claims that Pfizer conducted the trial "illegally and pretentiously" and that 196 children died as a result of taking the drug. They also claim the 37 surviving children suffered various health problems -- including deafness and muteness, paralysis, brain damage, loss of sight and slurred speech.

In the legal documents filed at the federal high court in Abuja, the government accused Pfizer of "fraudulent representation, illegal/unethical conduct and practice, negligence and contravention of customary international law".

The government is claiming US$5 billion for general damages, approximately US$500 million to cover the cost of treatment, compensation and support provided to children who took part in the test, and US$450 million for funds allegedly spent on public awareness campaigns related to the test.

They are also claiming US$1 billion compensation for health programmes and initiatives -- such as routine polio immunisation programmes -- that allegedly failed as a result of the outcome of the trial.

An official from the ministry of health, who asked to remain nameless, said the government had waited to gather sufficient evidence before instigating the lawsuit.

The counsel to Pfizer, Chief Afe Babalola, senior advocate of Nigeria, denied all allegations against his client.

Babalola said Trovan had been used in America and Europe on more than 50,000 people and that none had died or suffered the same health problems as the alleged victims.

Trovan has since been approved in the United States for use in adults, but not for children.

A spokesperson from Pfizer, Bryant Haskins, said in a statement (5 June) that the Nigerian government "was fully informed in advance of the clinical trials" and that the allegations against Pfizer are "not based on all the facts".

Babalola urged the court to grant a speedy hearing of the case to clear the "assault and bruises" it had caused to the reputation of his client.

The case will continue on 26 June 2007.

In 2005, a court in the United States dismissed a lawsuit brought forward by several Nigerian families who said they were not sufficiently warned that their children could be affected by the drug.

In a separate case lodged in 2005, the Kano state government is also seeking US$2.7 billion in compensation from Pfizer.

This is a more reliable and believable amount!!

700 bn AMERICAN DOLLARS?
noooooooooo, it can't be!!!!

700 bn AMERICAN DOLLARS?
noooooooooo, it can't be!!!!

Welcome to West Africa. LOL

Welcome to West Africa. LOL
what about it?:bash: ...it's beauty,culture,people and power.:banana: :banana: :banana:

700 bn AMERICAN DOLLARS?
noooooooooo, it can't be!!!!
it's been re-comfirmed.it's more like liberian dollars.:drunk:...:lol: :lol: :lol:

You mean Zimbabwean dollars! The African media is very unprofessional.

offtopic

:llama: :llama: :llama:

Welcome to West Africa. LOL

Kulani, everyone knows that the figure is false and can´t be true but unprofessionalism is not inherent to West Africa otherwise mass murder is the synoyme of SA!

I posted a report with the real figures, if you could read then you will all have acknowledge the fact its $7 billion not $700 billion!!