Toronto Police Service has arrested Amaka Sonnberger, a 46-year-old Nigerian woman, following a viral audio recording in which she threatened to poison and kill Yoruba and Edo individuals living in Canada.
In a statement issued on September 2, the Toronto police confirmed that Amaka was taken into custody on September 1. The arrest followed reports that she had posted threatening content online around August 25, 2024, targeting specific members of the Nigerian community.
Amaka has been charged with Uttering Threats and is set to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice, 2201 Finch Avenue West, on Monday, September 2, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. in courtroom 107.
The police are treating the investigation as a suspected hate-motivated offense. They encourage anyone with information to contact them at 416-808-3500, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477), or via www.222tips.com.
Hate-motivated offenses, once reported, may be investigated by a Divisional investigator with support from the Hate Crime Unit (HCU) or exclusively by the HCU. If a criminal offense, such as assault or mischief, is found to be motivated by bias, prejudice, or hate, the officer-in-charge may consult with the Crown. In such cases, if convicted, the judge will consider hate as an aggravating factor during sentencing.
Charges related to the willful promotion of hatred and advocacy of genocide, which are considered hate propaganda (hate speech) offenses, require the Attorney General’s consent and are often filed at a later date.
Amaka made the threats during a TikTok discussion, expressing grievances about perceived marginalization of Igbos and stating her intention to poison Yoruba colleagues at work. This led to calls for her arrest from members of the House of Representatives and other Nigerian groups.
In a subsequent audio recording, Amaka dismissed the arrest and deportation calls, asserting her Canadian citizenship and claiming that nothing could be done against her.
