The House of Representatives has formally requested that the Canadian government investigate and prosecute Amaka Patience Sunnberger, a Nigerian resident in Canada, following her recent inflammatory remarks against Nigerians of Yoruba and Bini ethnicities.
The controversy erupted after a video clip, which surfaced on X.com (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, featured a woman making derogatory and threatening comments during a virtual meeting on TikTok. The individual, identified as Sunnberger, purportedly residing in Ontario, Canada, issued alarming threats, including a vow to poison her workplace and harm Yoruba and Bini individuals. She asserted that her statements were in reaction to perceived animosity against the Igbo community.
In her comments, Sunnberger expressed a belief that her Canadian citizenship offered her immunity from arrest, claiming that Canada’s legal system was more lenient compared to Nigeria’s, where arrests could be made more arbitrarily.
Her remarks included a dismissive tone towards any potential legal consequences, as she stated, “Somebody just sends me a 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 House of Representatives, deeply concerned by the gravity of Sunnberger’s statements, has acted swiftly to address the situation. In a letter signed by Biodun Omoleye, Chairman of the Nigeria-Canada Parliamentary Friendship Group, and Tochukwu Chinedu Okere, Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora Matters, the Nigerian lawmakers expressed their alarm over the threats made by Sunnberger. They emphasized that her statements represent a severe risk to the safety and lives of Nigerian citizens.
The letter detailed, “On behalf of the Nigeria-Canada Parliamentary Friendship Group and the House Committee on Diaspora Matters, we are writing to express our deep concern regarding the actions of Ms. Amaka Patience Sunnberger, a Nigerian citizen residing in Canada. 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.”
The lawmakers characterized Sunnberger’s statements as a violation of international, Canadian, and Ontario laws, and they stressed that such rhetoric poses a dangerous threat that could incite violence both in Nigeria and within the Nigerian diaspora.
In light of these concerns, the House of Representatives has requested the Canadian authorities to undertake the following actions:
Investigation: Conduct an immediate and comprehensive investigation into Ms. Sunnberger’s actions by Canadian law enforcement and relevant authorities.
Prosecution: Ensure that Ms. Sunnberger is prosecuted under applicable Canadian laws for her incitement to violence and threats.
Public Condemnation: The Canadian government should publicly condemn Sunnberger’s statements and actions.
Collaboration: Collaborate with Nigerian authorities to prevent any potential escalation of violence resulting from her threats.
The letter underscores the urgency of addressing this matter to ensure the safety and security of Nigerians both within Nigeria and abroad.
