The National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, has strongly condemned the Canadian embassy for denying visas to Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, and other senior military officers for an official engagement.
Speaking in Abuja on Thursday at the maiden annual lecture of the National Association of the Institute for Security Studies (AANISS), Ribadu declared, “Canada can go to hell.”
General Musa had earlier expressed his disappointment over the incident, revealing that he and his team were invited to a Canadian event honouring war veterans but were denied visas.
“Every disappointment is a blessing. Yesterday, I was meant to be in Canada. There’s an event to honour our veterans, those injured in battles, and we were meant to be there,” Musa stated.
“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,” he added.
Reacting to the situation, Ribadu described the visa refusal as an act of disrespect and an insult to Nigeria.
“Thank you for the courage to say Canada denied you visas. They can go to hell,” Ribadu declared.
He further stated: “Even though it’s painful and disrespectful, we are peaceful and strong. I agree with you—it is time to fix our country. Yet, this is another reason we must work hard to make Nigeria work.”
He commended the CDS for his leadership in combating insecurity, adding that all security agencies are now working together across various regions of the country.
The article was originally published on Politics Nigeria.
