The leading Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has strongly condemned a viral video in which a woman identified as Amaka Patience Sunnberger, a Canada-based individual, made inflammatory statements threatening to poison food consumed by Yoruba and Benin people.
The group emphasised that these remarks do not represent the values or character of the Igbo people and urged the public to disregard the video as the work of a misguided individual.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the National Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Dr. Alex Ogbonnia, made it clear that there is no concrete evidence to confirm that the woman in the video is of Igbo descent.
He stressed that her comments do not reflect the principles of thoughtfulness, discretion, and self-restraint that are deeply ingrained in Igbo culture.
Dr. Ogbonnia acknowledged that the video, which was posted on the social media platform TikTok under the username @Anyi_anambra, had caused significant concern among Nigerians, particularly among Yoruba and Benin communities.
The video, which has since gone viral, shows the woman calling on Igbo people to poison the food of Yoruba and Benin individuals, claiming that such acts of wickedness should be embraced.
“Ohanaeze would have ignored the social media video clip as coming from a deranged psychopath or one of the fictitious narratives, which, with the Internet device, was twisted, dressed, coated, and delivered to the unsuspecting and obliging public,” Dr. Ogbonnia said in the statement.
The video has sparked fear and outrage, prompting numerous calls to Ohanaeze Ndigbo from concerned individuals and prominent figures.
The group noted that many people have expressed worries about the possibility of some individuals taking the threats seriously and acting on them.
One of the notable reactions came from the National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, a Yoruba socio-cultural group, Mr. Jare Ajayi, who reportedly forwarded the video to Ohanaeze and requested an urgent response.
Ohanaeze Ndigbo reassured the public that the Igbo people, known for their widespread travels and deep integration into various communities across Nigeria, would never support or engage in such harmful behaviour.
The organisation emphasised that the Igbo community has historically contributed to the development of every community they inhabit, living peacefully alongside people of different ethnic backgrounds.
“There is no Igbo man or woman that will contemplate throwing stones in a full market for fear of who shall be the victim, as the Igbo travel more than any ethnic group in Africa,” Dr. Ogbonnia stated.
He pointed out that any attempt to poison food in cities like Lagos, Ibadan, or Benin would be as likely to harm Igbo people as anyone else, given their significant presence in these areas.
The Secretary-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Ambassador Okey Emuchay, also weighed in on the matter, condemning both the content of the video and the individual responsible for it.
He described the video as the work of a “depressed, drowning ethnic bigot” who is fixated on the negative aspects of history and driven by malevolent intentions.
“They are the merchants of woes who deploy despicable and incendiary rhetoric to create ethnic mistrusts and conflicts where none exists,” Emuchay stated.
Ohanaeze Ndigbo took the opportunity to remind the public of the deep cultural and historical ties that exist between the Igbo, Yoruba, and Benin peoples.
The group emphasised the shared heritage, including cultural similarities, intermarriages, and long-standing relationships, which have produced generations of well-accomplished individuals.
“Ohanaeze seizes this opportunity to enlighten the younger generations that the Igbo, Edo, and Yoruba share a lot in common. We share in cultural affinity, cosmology, morphology, and hospitality,” Dr. Ogbonnia explained.
He urged Nigerians to focus on these commonalities rather than allowing the divisive actions of a few to drive a wedge between different ethnic groups.
