The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has criticized the Federal Government for its perceived inaction and has called for immediate arrest of Mr. Kingsley Ugiagbe, a Nigerian living in Vienna, Austria, who has made inflammatory and threatening statements about mass poisoning of the Igbo community and unalive their children.
HURIWA condemned Ugiagbe’s dangerous rhetoric and urged Nigerian authorities to act with the same urgency and commitment as they did in the case of Mrs. Amaka Sonnberger, a Canadian-based Nigerian who faced arrest after advocating for the poisoning of certain Nigerians.
The organization stressed that Ugiagbe’s arrest is not only a matter of justice but also crucial for preventing potential ethnic violence and fostering peace in Nigeria. In a forceful statement released on Thursday, signed by National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, HURIWA expressed alarm over the escalating trend of ethnic hate speech, which it views as a severe threat to Nigeria’s fragile unity.
HURIWA recalled the swift actions taken by the Nigerian government in response to Sonnberger’s video, which called for violence against certain ethnic groups. The video’s viral spread led to public outcry and diplomatic pressure, resulting in Sonnberger’s arrest and ongoing prosecution in Canada.
The association has called for the Nigerian government to adopt a similar approach towards Ugiagbe, emphasizing that “the same level of pressure applied to the Canadian government for Amaka Sonnberger’s arrest should be used to address the threats posed by Kingsley Ugiagbe.”
HURIWA warned that neglecting to take decisive action against Ugiagbe could imply that ethnic threats and hate speech against the Igbo community are tolerated, potentially encouraging further hate and violence.
NN News Media has reported that Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), alerted Canadian authorities to Sonnberger’s threats but has not addressed Ugiagbe’s remarks. This selective approach has been criticized, especially as the Edo community in Austria has suspended Ugiagbe. However, Dabiri-Erewa has yet to make a statement on the threats against the Igbo community.
