The House of Representatives has called on the Canadian government to investigate and prosecute Amaka Patience Sunnberger, a Nigerian residing in Canada, for making threatening and inflammatory comments against Nigerians of Yoruba and Benin descent.
The controversy began after a video clip surfaced on X.com (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, featuring a woman’s voice making anti-Yoruba statements during a virtual meeting on TikTok.
In the video, the woman, who claimed to be a resident of Ontario, Canada, threatened to bring poisonous substances to her workplace to harm any Yoruba or Benin person she encountered.
She claimed her comments were a response to what she described as “hate” against the Igbo ethnic group.
In a letter signed by Nigerian lawmakers Biodun Omoleye and Tochukwu Chinedu Okere, the House of Representatives expressed deep concern over Sunnberger’s statements.
The lawmakers stated that her comments pose a direct threat to the lives and safety of millions of Nigerians, both within the country and in the diaspora.
The letter, issued on behalf of the Nigeria-Canada Parliamentary Friendship Group and the House Committee on Diaspora Matters, read in part: “Ms. Sunnberger has recently been recorded making inflammatory statements that incite violence against the Yoruba and Edo ethnic groups in Nigeria, including advocating the poisoning of food and water supplies to achieve their mass genocide.
Her incitement to violence and call for genocide through poisoning are not only deeply troubling but also represent a clear violation of multiple international, Canadian, and Ontario laws.”
The lawmakers highlighted that Sunnberger’s actions violate several international laws, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, as well as the Criminal Code of Canada.
In response to the seriousness of these violations, the Nigerian lawmakers have requested the following actions from the Canadian government:
1. Investigation: A thorough investigation by Canadian law enforcement into Sunnberger’s actions.
2. Prosecution: The prosecution of Sunnberger under the relevant sections of the Criminal Code of Canada for incitement to genocide and hate speech.
3. Public Denouncement: A public condemnation of Sunnberger’s actions by the Canadian government to reaffirm its commitment to combating hate speech, violence, and genocide.
4. Collaboration with Nigerian Authorities: A call for Canadian authorities to work with Nigerian authorities to prevent any potential escalation of violence resulting from Sunnberger’s incitement and to ensure justice is served.
The Nigerian House of Representatives emphasised the potential danger of such rhetoric, which could incite real-world violence in both Nigeria and among the Nigerian diaspora.
They urged the Canadian government to take immediate and decisive action in addressing this matter to uphold peace and security for all affected communities.
