Nigeria: National Assembly petitions Canadian resident over genocide incitement

The Nigerian National Assembly has filed a formal petition against Amaka Patience Sunnberger, a Nigerian citizen residing in Canada, for alleged incitement to genocide and hate speech against the Yoruba and Edo ethnic groups.

The petition, addressed to the High Commissioner of Canada to Nigeria, His Excellency James Christoff, highlights the grave concerns surrounding Ms. Sunnberger’s purported actions.

The petition, backed by the Nigeria-Canada Parliamentary Friendship Group and the House Committee on Diaspora Matters, accuses Ms. Sunnberger of making inflammatory statements that could potentially incite violence.

According to the document, she has been recorded advocating for the poisoning of food and water supplies to achieve mass genocide against the mentioned ethnic groups.

The petition details how Ms. Sunnberger’s statements violate several international and national laws.

“Her actions are said to breach the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), specifically Article 20(2), which prohibits incitement to discrimination, hostility, or violence. Additionally, her conduct contravenes the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD), Article 4.”

The Criminal Code of Canada is cited extensively, with Ms. Sunnberger accused of violating sections related to the promotion of genocide (Section 318(1)), public incitement of hatred (Section 319(1)), willful promotion of hatred (Section 319(2)), and utterance of threats to cause death or bodily harm (Section 264.1). Her statements allegedly violate the Ontario Human Rights Code, specifically Sections 1 and 13(1), which protect against discrimination and harassment based on race and ethnicity.

The petition underscores the dangerous potential of Ms. Sunnberger’s rhetoric, emphasizing its capacity to incite real-world violence both within Nigeria and among the Nigerian diaspora.