High Commission of Canada in Abuja.
The Canadian high commission in Nigeria has expressed its unwilling to comment on the circumstances surrounding its denial of visa to Christopher Musa, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and other high-ranking military officers.
The High Commission made its stance known in a statement posted on X on Friday, just as it acknowledged the media reports about the incident.
Wrote the commission: “The High Commission of Canada in Nigeria is aware of media reports related to planned travel to Canada by senior officials.
“However, for privacy reasons, we are unable to provide any comment on the status of visa applications of specific individuals”.
While speaking at a public gathering in Abuja on Thursday, the nation’s capital, the CDS said the Canadian High Commission denied him and other top military officers visas to attend an event organised to honour war veterans.
Musa said he ought to have been in Canada on Wednesday, noting that half of his team was granted the visa.
He said the incident was a clear reminder that Nigeria must “stand on its own” and should no longer be taken for granted.
Reacting to the development, Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Sdviser (NSA), who was also at the event, expressed displeasure at the treatment meted out to the defence team.
Fumed an angry Ribadu: “They can go to hell”. He further noted that it was a wake-up call to make Nigeria work.
Many Nigerians also lashed out at the North American country on social media for denying the CDS, who is the head of the armed forces and the most senior uniformed military adviser to the President and Minister of Defence, a visa.
