By Muhammed Shaeed
August 29th, 2024
The Canadian government has been asked by the house of Representatives Committee on diaspora matters to prosecute one Amaka Patience Sunnberger for hate speech.
It’s contained in a letter jointly signed by Tochukwu Okere, chairman of the committee; and Biodun Omoleye, chairman of Nigeria-Canada Parliamentary Friendship Group.
The letter was dated August 28, 2024 and addressed to James Christoff, Canada’s high commissioner to Nigeria.
The letter reads in part, “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.
“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.”
On the lawmakers’ side, 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, however, demanded that an immediate and thorough investigation be conducted into Sunberger’s actions by Canadian law enforcement and appropriate authorities.
Sunnberger, a Canada-based woman, who, in a viral TikTok clip, allegedly threatened to kill fellow Nigerians living in the North American country.
“Record me, it’s time to start poisoning the meals of the Yorubas and Benin people, poison their food and drinks at work so they can begin to die one by one,” she said.
“We request that the Canadian government issue a public condemnation of Ms. Sunnberger’s actions to reaffirm Canada’s commitment to combatting hate speech, violence, and genocide, the lawmakers added.