The Biafra Government has formally addressed the Canadian Government in defense of Amaka Sunnberger, who is facing calls for prosecution over her threat to harm Yoruba and Bini people.
This was conveyed in a letter signed by Dr. Joy Irobi, the Director General of the Biafra Ministry of Foreign Affairs, BRGIE, and addressed to the Mayor of Brampton, Canada.
Sunnberger recently caused a stir after a video she posted on TikTok went viral, in which she threatened violence against Yoruba and Edo people.
In response, the Nigerian government, through the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) chaired by Abike Dabiri-Erewa, petitioned the Mayor of Brampton on Thursday, urging the prosecution of Sunnberger over her inflammatory remarks.
Reacting to this development, Simon Ekpa, the Prime Minister of BRGIE, vowed to defend Sunnberger.
In a three-page letter to the Canadian Government, which was shared on Ekpa’s official X handle on Friday, Irobi expressed concern over what she described as inaccuracies and potential misunderstandings in NiDCOM’s claims regarding Sunnberger.
The letter also pointed out several instances where individuals within the Nigerian government made violent remarks against Biafrans, yet no calls for prosecution were made by the government in those cases.
“We provide below a counterargument with evidence of how the Nigerian
government that NiDCOM is representing has incited video violence and killings of
Indigenous people in Nigeria, which resulted in many people fleeing out of Nigeria to preserve their lives.
“Bayo Onanuga: I owe no-one an apology for ethnic slur against the Biafran Igbos, they are a threat to Yorubas”, the letter cited President Bola Tinubu Media Aide’s Onanuga’s comment in July 2024 as allegedly inciting violence.
“Information reaching the Biafra Government reveals that Mrs. Amaka Patience Sonnberge was traumatized by the attempted kidnap of her child in Canada by Two individuals from NiDCOM is informed that the police have taken over the matter. Of note, Biafrans living in Nigeria and abroad are suffering intensely under the incessant life threat against the Igbo race. This mental abuse has been ignored due to fear of being killed
“NIDCOM’s Chair is from a privileged Nigerian tribe with the positive attention her tribe is enjoying but ignored the intense mental suffering being mated on the Biafra people from the great Igbo race.
“Notably, Mrs. Amaka Patience Sonnberge due to the mental suffering certain tribes in
Nigeria has mated on her family in Biafra land and may have angrily misspoken due to her pain, but that is not enough for NIDCOM to be advocating for Mrs Amaka Patience Sonnberge to lose her occupation.
“In conclusion, I firmly believe that the claims made against Mrs Amaka Patience
Sonnberge is unfounded and does not reflect the true character and contributions when
you examine the painful and mental suffering Biafrans in Nigeria are going through daily. I respectfully request that you ignore the NiDOM claims in light of the evidence provided and allow Mrs. Amaka Patien ce Sonnberge to continue to contribute positively to your community in Canada. The Biafra government will defend Mrs Amaka Patience Sonnberge against any action taken by the NIDCOM”, the letter partly reads.
