The Canadian High Commission in Nigeria on Friday acknowledged the denial of visas to Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, and other senior Nigerian military officials.
However, the Canadian High Commission refrained from commenting on the specifics of the visa applications, citing privacy concerns.
In a terse statement, the High Commission said: “The High Commission of Canada in Nigeria is aware of media reports related to planned travel by senior officials.
“However, for privacy reasons, we are unable to comment on the status of visa applications of specific individuals.”
General Musa, who spoke at the maiden annual lecture of the National Association of the Institute for Security Studies in Abuja on Thursday, said they invited to an event in Canada honouring war veterans but while some members of the delegation received visas, others including himself were denied entry visas, leading to disappointment and frustration.
Describing the situation as a “wake-up call” for Nigeria which demands the strengthening of the nation’s sovereignty, the Defence Chief said: “This is a reminder that we must stand on our own, stand strong as a nation, and refuse to be taken for granted.”
However, National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, while reacting to the development, condemned Canadian High Commission’s actions, describing the visa denial as “disrespectful,” adding: “Canada can go to hell.”
