Canada-Based Nigerian woman, Amaka Patience Sunnberger, is in the eye of the storm after vowing to harm Yoruba or Benin individuals she encounters.
Her diatribe coincides with Canada’s latest decision to end the temporary public policy that allowed visitors to apply for a work permit from within Canada.
The IRCC introduced the policy in August 2020 to help visitors who were unable to leave the country due to COVID-19 pandemic–related travel restrictions.
Under the policy, visitors in Canada could apply for a work permit without having to leave the country.
The controversy began when a video clip that went viral on X (formerly Twitter) featuring the woman who claims to be a resident of Ontario making inflammatory anti-Yoruba comments during a virtual meeting on TikTok.
In sharp contrast to Amaka’s controversial remarks, many urged the Canadian government to prosecute her for inciting violence and genocide against Yoruba and Edo people.
The House of Representatives wrote to the Canadian government, urging it to investigate and prosecute Sunnberger for her inciting comments, which it said violates international and Canadian laws.
Amaka, however, dismissed the possibility of arrest or deportation.
The Director-General of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, weighed in on the issue via her X handle (formerly Twitter).
She identified the woman and revealed that several Nigerian groups had brought the matter to the attention of the Canadian authorities.
Dabiri-Erewa wrote: “This is the picture of the lady behind the voice: Amaka Patience Sunnberger.
“She has deleted her TikTok account, and a group of Nigerians in Canada are reporting her officially to the relevant authorities in Canada. Thanks for alerting everyone.”
However, Biafra agitator, Simon Ekpa, known as the Prime Minister of Biafra Republic Government In-Exile, vowed to defend Amaka.
Our correspondent, who viewed the now-viral TikTok video on X, heard the woman instructing others on the social media space to poison Nigerians of Yoruba and Benin descent.
Amaka, who spoke in Pidgin English, said: “Record me very, very well. Time to start poisoning the Yoruba and the Bini. I go put poison for all una food for work, put poison for all una water. Make una dey kpai (die) one by one. Una no go kpai one day o, una go sick, sick, sick.
“I go put otapiapia. This kind hate wey I get for una so, e go last forever. For all of una food, otapiapia eat and die, snipers – Yes, I go dey put am. If I go work tomorrow, I go put am for Yoruba food.
“I dey Canada, I dey Ontario, go tell government, hurry up. I go put otapiapia, una go hear Yoruba don die o, Bini don kpeme, na me talk am.
“I wan make Ndigbo have that heart of wickedness, una too quiet, una too dey cool, enough. It is enough, if you have a means of killing them, kill them; kpai them commot for road because they too mumu, they are of no use to the society.”
Other voices could be heard interjecting and prodding her. The woman claimed that her comment was in response to the “hate” against the Igbo.
Amaka’s dangerous rhetorics brings to fore the bizarre ‘Igbo must go’ campaign by a group, Lagospedia, which was condemned by well-meaning Nigerians and socio-cultural groups, few weeks ago.
The former Vice President and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 election Atiku Abubakar, his Labour Party (LP) counterpart Peter Obi, and the pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organisation Afenifere, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, and the Lagos Indigenes strongly condemned the needless mischievous campaign.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu also, in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Gboyega Akosile, distanced himself and the Lagos State Government from the “reckless, divisive, and dangerous rhetoric,” emphasising that Lagos remains a home to all Nigerian citizens regardless of their ethnic nationality.
The joint caucus of the South East members of the National Assembly also petitioned the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, calling on him to arrest and prosecute those instigating anti-Igbo action in the South West.
The lawmakers called the attention of the IG to an anti-Igbo post made on July 27 on X account of @Lagospedia wherein Lagosians and South West stakeholders were asked to prepare for a massive protest of #IgboMustGo on August 20 to 30.
‘I can’t be deported’
In a viral video clip, Sunnberger cited her Canadian citizenship as protection, stating that Canada’s legal system is unlike Nigeria’s, where arrests can be made without questioning.
She said: “Somebody just send me message, say them arrest me, say them wan deport me, with passport? I be Canada pikin.
“See am now, I dey house, why I go dey lie?”
The statements sparked widespread outrage, leading key figures, including the Chairperson, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, to formally request her prosecution by Canadian authorities, citing violations of both international and Canadian laws.
In the letter addressed to the Mayor, Dabiri-Erewa disclosed that Amaka is a disability support worker in Brampton.
Dabiri-Erewa stated that it is worrisome that someone who works with one of the most vulnerable demographics in society made such a comment, adding that she may pose a danger to the vulnerable people she works with and needs to be investigated, checked, and stopped for the good of society.
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She further said: “As long as I am Chair @nidcom gov and Diaspora issues are reported to us, we will deal with it. As I speak, Nigerians in Canada have taken the matter up with the relevant authorities.”
Reacting to the matter, Ekpa stressed that the Biafra government will defend Sunnberger.
He further urged Sunnberger not to panic for any reason.
“The Biafra government will defend Amaka against any action.
“We equally call on Amaka to immediately contact the Biafra liaison in Canada or anyone with her contact should contact the Biafra government or myself directly. Tag Amaka, we need her contact immediately; she must not panic for any reason,” he stated.
He claimed that Sunnberger’s threat comes as a result of long-term bullying by the Nigerians she threatened.
“She is not just a victim of bullying but she is a victim of murder; they have murdered her spiritually during the election; they murdered her even before the election, the accumulated anger pushed her to speak, so the Biafra Government will provide legal services if need be.
“She only talked while the killers are practically killing her people and there is no outrage. Those Ohanaeze disowning her has been banned in Biafraland,” he said
Reps panel writes Canada, seeks prosecution of woman
The House of Representatives Committee on Diaspora Matters asked the Canadian government to prosecute Sunnberger for “hate speech”.
The request is contained in a letter jointly signed by Tochukwu Okere, chairman of the committee; and Biodun Omoleye, chairman of Nigeria-Canada Parliamentary Friendship Group.
In the letter addressed to James Christoff, Canada’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, the lawmakers said Sunnberger’s comments “are a direct threat to the lives and safety of millions of Nigerians”.
“On behalf of the Nigeria-Canada Parliamentary Friendship Group, we are writing to express our deep concern regarding the actions of Ms. Amaka Patience Sunberger, a Nigerian citizen residing in Canada,” the letter reads.
“Ms. Sunberger has recently been recorded making inflammatory statements that incite violence against the Yoruba and Edo ethnic groups in Nigeria, including advocating for the poisoning of food and water supplies to achieve their mass genocide.”
According to the lawmakers, the “incitement to violence and call for genocide through poisoning” are “deeply troubling and are a clear violation of international and Canadian laws such as national, racial, or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility, or violence”.
“Such rhetoric is dangerous and has the potential to incite real-world violence, both in Nigeria and within the Nigerian diaspora,” the legislators said.
The lawmakers demanded that an “immediate and thorough investigation” be conducted into Sunberger’s actions by Canadian law enforcement and appropriate authorities.
“We urge that Ms. Sunnberger be prosecuted under the relevant sections of the Criminal Code of Canada to hold her accountable for her incitement to genocide and hate speech,” the lawmakers said.
“We request that the Canadian government issue a public condemnation of Ms. Sunnberger’s actions to reaffirm Canada’s commitment to combating hate speech, violence and genocide.
“We also request that Canadian authorities collaborate with Nigerian authorities to prevent any potential escalation of violence because of Ms. Sunnberger’s incitement, and to ensure that justice is served.
“Canada and Nigeria share a strong bilateral relationship founded on mutual respect for human rights and the rule of law.
“The actions of Ms. Sunnberger threaten to undermine these values. We trust that you will take all necessary steps to address this issue in accordance with Canadian and international law.”
Reactions
An X.com user, @DAMIADENUGA, who shared the video on his account Wednesday, urged Nigerians in Canada to stay safe and take precautionary measures.
“A very disturbing video of some Nigerians on TikTok planning the death of other Nigerians in Canada. This post is for awareness purposes only. Be careful out there, folks,” he wrote.
“Please, everyone on that TikTok live space with her are all accomplices; they all must be traced!!! Every one of them.” @AmodaOgunlere added.
Corroborating the call for the participants’ arrest, @AbiolaKujore wrote, “The sad part is they all supported her and cheered her on; I was shocked.”
“They share the same sentiment because I wonder why anyone would want to give her a listening ear by being part of that demonic space,” @adedirant noted.
Assuring other Nigerians that the authorities had begun a probe into the distasteful video, @Lekanarsenal said, “Most of them do delete their TikTok account, but the hand will touch them one after the other. Some of them live in Nigeria, and we repost them. We are going to track every account that leads to them.”
Ohanaeze disowns woman
The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has condemned the viral video in which Amaka Patience Sunnberger made threatening remarks about Nigerians of Yoruba and Benin heritage.
The group said there was no sufficient evidence that the lady who posted the video was Igbo, adding that she did not in any way portray the Igbo character of thoughtfulness, discretion, self-censure and equanimity.
The National Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Dr. Alex Ogbonnia, refuted the claims in a statement issued on Wednesday in Enugu.
According to him, the attention of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has been drawn to a video clip making the rounds on social media that goes by the “name @Anyi_anambra on TikTok, “asking the Igbo to poison the foods of the Yoruba and Benin people.”
He said the miscreant “promised to encourage other Igbos to poison Yoruba and Benin people. Let Ndigbo get heart of wickedness and start poisoning Yoruba and Edo.”
“Ohanaeze would have ignored the social media video clip as coming from a deranged psychopath or one of the fictitious narratives, which with the Internet device was twisted, dressed, coated, and delivered to the unsuspecting and obliging public,”.
Ogbonnia, however, said their telephones had been inundated by various eminent persons who had expressed fears on the possibility of some persons carrying out the threats.
“It therefore becomes imperative for Ohanaeze to respond, especially when the National Publicity Secretary of the Afenifere, Mr. Jare Ajayi, forwarded the clip and requested prompt action.
“There is no Igbo man or woman that will contemplate throwing stones in a full market for the fear of who shall be the victim, as the Igbo travel more than any ethnic group in Africa.
“They also create homes away from home wherever they are found. They mix up or integrate with the local community and contribute to developing every community they find themselves in.
“Based on the foregoing, two major derivatives emerge: if one should poison food in Lagos, Ibadan, or Benin, is there any guarantee that the first victim will not be Igbo?” he asked.
The publicity secretary said the lady in the said video must be a “depressed, drowning ethnic bigot, obsessed by the negative side of history, and unflinching satanic in orchestration.”
He disclosed that the Secretary-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Amb. Okey Emuchay, decried the video tape on the social media.
According to him, Emuchay vehemently condemned both the video content and the perpetrator as a mischief-maker.
“They are the merchant of woes who deploy despicable and incendiary rhetoric to create ethnic mistrusts and conflicts where none exists.
“Ohanaeze seizes this opportunity to enlighten the younger generations that the Igbo, Edo and Yoruba share a lot in common. We share in cultural affinity, cosmology, morphology, and hospitality.
“The age-long intermarriages between the Igbo, Yoruba, and Edo have produced well-accomplished great-grandchildren,” he said.
He therefore assured the Afenifere, the entire Yoruba and Edo brothers, that the threat from the depraved mind should be ignored as “idiotic, meaningless, and vacuous.”
“We add that, throughout history, proposals by the maladjusted are always dead on arrival.
“We use this opportunity to call on the security agencies in Nigeria to trace the perpetrators of this macabre dance to face the full weight of the law,” he said.
Atiku, Peter Obi react
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar said: The contentious virtual chat room clip wherein participants made threats of ethnic cleansing against the Yorubas and Benin people is unequivocally condemned in all aspects.
“I am informed that the identities of those involved have been disclosed and that calls have been made to the pertinent law enforcement agencies in Canada to prosecute the offenders.
“In this regard, I commend the House of Representatives and the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission for their prompt and decisive action in addressing this incendiary rhetoric and preempting further escalation.
“This disconcerting episode underscores, once again, the imperative of uniting our people and our nation. Our rich diversity is our most cherished national asset and must be vigilantly protected.”
Peter Obi said: “I utterly condemn the reported hateful statement and actions attributed to a Nigerian woman living in Canada against other Nigerians of diverse origins. Such divisive comments or behaviour have no place in our society.
“As Nigerians, we should unite and focus on addressing our shared challenges, rather than allowing tribalism and hate to tear us apart. I have consistently stood against the polarisation of our country along tribal, religious or political lines.
