The Ontario Court of Justice in Toronto has rescheduled the case of Canadian-based Nigerian, Amaka Sonnberger, who was arrested for alleged hate speech.
Initially slated for October 2024, the court has postponed the hearing to November 15, 2024.
According to a spokesperson from Canada’s Ministry of the Attorney General, Keesha Seaton, Sonnberger, though released from police custody, has signed an undertaking.
“This case will return to court on the set date of November 15, by video, for the Ontario Court of Justice,” Seaton told BBC News Pidgin.
The 46-year-old Nigerian woman was apprehended in Toronto after she allegedly made threats against certain members of the Nigerian community in a social media post on August 25, 2024.
The Toronto Police confirmed her arrest in September following an investigation into the incident.
Sonnberger has been formally charged with uttering threats and is expected to appear before a judge at the Ontario Court of Justice.
Her case is being handled by the Toronto Police Hate Crime Unit, which is treating it as a suspected hate-motivated offense.
In a statement, the Toronto Police Service confirmed the arrest. “Toronto Police have arrested a woman in connection with a suspected hate-motivated threat investigation,” the statement read. “The arrest follows a report received on August 28, 2024, regarding a threatening incident. Authorities allege that on or around August 25, 2024, Amaka Sonnberger, 46, of Toronto, posted online content threatening the lives of specific members of the Nigerian community.”
Sonnberger was taken into custody on September 1, 2024, and her upcoming court appearance is scheduled to take place at 2201 Finch Avenue West.
The police are urging anyone with additional information to come forward, either by contacting them directly at 416-808-3500 or anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 416-222-TIPS (8477) or via their website at www.222tips.com.
This case has drawn widespread attention after a viral video surfaced on the social media platform X.
In the video, a woman, identified as Sonnberger, was seen making inflammatory anti-Yoruba statements during a virtual TikTok meeting. Speaking in Pidgin English, she allegedly said, “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 video’s circulation caused significant outrage within the Nigerian community, prompting demands for Sonnberger’s immediate arrest and prosecution.
Both the Nigerian House of Representatives and the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission petitioned Canadian authorities to thoroughly investigate the matter and prosecute her for inciting violence and promoting hate speech.
This case has become emblematic of the growing concerns around hate speech and violence incitement within diaspora communities, raising questions about accountability in the digital age.
