The Canadian Embassy in Nigeria has refused to grant visas to Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa, and several other senior military officials for an official engagement.
On Thursday, February 13, 2025, during the first annual lecture of the National Association of the Institute for Security Studies (AANISS) in Abuja, National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, voiced his strong disapproval, stating that Canada “can go to hell.”
Earlier, the CDS expressed his dissatisfaction with the situation, revealing that he and his team were invited to an event in Canada to honor war veterans, but they were denied visas. Musa stated, “Every disappointment is a blessing. Yesterday, I was meant to be in Canada. There’s an event to honour our veterans, those that were injured during battles, and we were meant to be there.”
He further explained, “We were invited with our team. Half has gone and half has been denied. It’s very disappointing. This is a clear reminder that we must stand strong as a nation and should no longer be taken for granted.”
In response, Ribadu did not hold back his criticism, calling the visa refusal an act of disrespect. He remarked, “Thank you for the courage to say Canada denied you visas. They can go to hell. Even though it’s painful and disrespectful, we are peaceful and strong. I agree with you—it is time to fix our country.”
Ribadu also praised the CDS for his leadership in tackling insecurity, noting that all security agencies are now collaborating across different regions of Nigeria.
