Remilekun Awokoya
Former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, has condemned in strongest terms, a threat and call for poisoning of people of the Southwest Nigeria popularly known as Yorubas and people of Edo State by a Nigerian woman living in Ontario, Canada identified as Amaka Patience Sunnberger
He commended the House of Representatives and the Nigerians in the Diaspora Commission for their prompt and decisive action in addressing what he described as incendiary rhetoric and preempting further escalation.
Atiku, who made the condemnation in a posts on his X account on Thursday while reacting to the news of the woman calling on people of South-East to develop hard heart and poison Yorubas and Edos in a viral TikTok live meeting video, said that Nigeria’s rich diversity is its most cherished national asset and must be vigilantly protected.
He commended the House of Representatives and the Nigerians in the Diaspora Commission for their prompt and decisive action in addressing what he described as incendiary rhetoric and preempting further escalation.
Atiku, a former presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 general elections 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 the 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.”
Meanwhile, media reports earlier that the Nigerian authorities through the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) petitioned Honourable Patrick Brown, Mayor of Brampton, Canada, regarding Amaka Patience Sunnberger’s poisoning threat.
According to the petition, Sunnberger has issued threats to poison and kill members of the Yoruba and Edo ethnic communities.
In the letter dated August 28, 2024 addressed to the mayor, the Chairman of NiDCOM, Dr Abike Dabiri-Erewa, disclosed that Mrs Amaka Patience Sonnberger, is a disability support worker in Brampton.
However, Amaka confidently declared that nothing would happen to her because she is a Canadian citizen.