Reps petitions Canadian High Commission over incitement of genocide by Nigerian citizen in Canada

The Nigerian House of Representatives, through the Nigeria-Canada Parliamentary Friendship Group and the House Committee on Diaspora Matters, has officially petitioned the Canadian High Commission regarding the actions of Ms. Amaka Patience Sunnberger, a Nigerian citizen residing in Canada.

The petition, dated August 28, 2024, was addressed to His Excellency James Christoff, the High Commissioner of Canada to Nigeria.

The letter expresses grave concerns over a recent video in which Ms. Sunnberger is seen making inflammatory statements that incite violence against the Yoruba and Edo ethnic groups in Nigeria. In the video, she reportedly advocates for the poisoning of food and water supplies as a method of mass genocide against these groups.

The House of Representatives has described these statements as a direct threat to the lives and safety of millions of Nigerians, emphasizing that such rhetoric could incite real-world violence both in Nigeria and among the Nigerian diaspora. The petition highlights the violations of various international, Canadian, and Ontario laws that Ms. Sunnberger’s actions represent.

Specifically, the petition references violations of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD), as well as several sections of the Criminal Code of Canada, including those prohibiting the promotion of genocide, public incitement of hatred, and the utterance of threats.

The House of Representatives has called for immediate action, requesting that Canadian authorities conduct a thorough investigation, prosecute Ms. Sunnberger under the relevant sections of the Criminal Code of Canada, publicly denounce her actions, and collaborate with Nigerian authorities to prevent any potential escalation of violence.

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