Nigeria’s National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, has said Canada “can go to hell” after the North American country denied visas to Nigeria’s senior military officers including the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa.
Senior military officers from Nigeria were invited to be part of an event in Canada meant to honour war veterans but half of the delegation was “blocked from attending” the event according to the CDS General Musa.
Ribadu described the development as “disrespectful.” He however said it “is yet another reason we must work hard to make Nigeria work.”
Although the Canadian High Commission in Nigeria said it was aware of the matter, it declined to give further details for “privacy reasons” on the specific individuals involved.
The visa denial comes two weeks after Canada introduced new regulations that grant immigration officers explicit authority to cancel temporary resident documents under specific circumstances.
It is understood that the changes were aimed at bolstering border security, maintaining the integrity of visa programmes and protecting public safety.