The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has strongly condemned a viral video featuring a Canada-based woman, Amaka Patience Sunnberger, who threatened to poison individuals of Yoruba and Benin descent.
In the video, Sunnberger, speaking in Pidgin English, made inflammatory remarks, saying, “Record me very well; it’s time to start poisoning the Yoruba and the Benin. Put poison in all your food at work. Put poison in your water, so that you all die one by one.”
Ohanaeze Ndigbo has urged the authorities to identify and prosecute those responsible for the video. The organisation’s National Publicity Secretary, Alex Ogbonnia, emphasized that there is no evidence to suggest that Sunnberger is of Igbo origin. Ogbonnia stated that her actions do not align with the values and traits typically associated with the Igbo people, such as thoughtfulness, discretion, self-censure, and equanimity.
Ogbonnia highlighted that the Igbo community is known for its extensive travel and integration with local communities, contributing positively to the development of the places they settle. He also pointed out the cultural similarities and historical inter-marriages between the Igbo, Yoruba, and Edo people, which have produced accomplished descendants.
The condemnation by Ohanaeze Ndigbo was prompted by a request from Mr. Jare Ajayi, the National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, who forwarded the video clip and called for immediate action. The organisation reiterated its commitment to peace and unity among Nigerian ethnic groups, emphasizing the shared cultural affinities, cosmology, morphology, and hospitality among the Igbo, Edo, and Yoruba communities
