Toronto Police have arrested a 46-year-old Nigerian woman, Amaka Sonnberger, based in Canada, for allegedly threatening to poison Yoruba and Benin people in Nigeria. According to a statement released on the Toronto Police Service website on Sunday, Sonnberger is set to appear in the Ontario Court of Justice today.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Earlier reports revealed that Sonnberger, in a viral TikTok video, made inflammatory remarks against the Yoruba, swearing to poison Yoruba and Benin individuals at her workplace. She claimed her comments were in retaliation for perceived hostility towards the Igbo community. In the video, she was heard saying, “Record me very well; it’s time to start poisoning the Yoruba and the Benin. Put poison for all una food for work. Put poison for una water, make una dey kpai one by one.”
The police statement outlined that Sonnberger’s arrest was related to a hate-motivated threat investigation following a report received on August 28, 2024. Authorities allege that around August 25, 2024, Sonnberger posted online threats targeting specific members of the Nigerian community. She was taken into custody on September 1, 2024, and is charged with uttering threats. The investigation is being treated as a suspected hate-motivated offense.
Toronto Police have urged anyone with information to contact them directly or anonymously through Crime Stoppers. The police emphasized that suspected hate-motivated offenses might be investigated by the Hate Crime Unit and, if proven, hate will be considered an aggravating factor in sentencing.
On August 28, the chair of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, identified Sonnberger as the individual behind the threatening comments. In response, the Nigerian House of Representatives sent a letter to the Canadian government, urging an investigation into Sonnberger’s actions, which they described as constituting a threat to Nigerians of Yoruba and Benin descent. The letter stated that her remarks advocate violence and genocide, violating Canadian and international laws aimed at preventing racial discrimination and violence.
