The National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, has expressed his dissatisfaction with the Canadian embassy for denying visas to Christopher Musa, the Chief of Defence Staff and other top military officers.
Ribadu made the remark in Abuja on Thursday during the maiden annual lecture of the National Association of the Institute for Security Studies, where he criticized the North American country, declaring, “They can go to hell.”
His reaction followed a comment by Musa, who revealed how he and several senior military officials were scheduled to attend an official event in Canada on Wednesday but were denied visas.
Musa explained that the event was to honour war veterans, particularly those injured in battle, and lamented the visa denial as a reminder of the need for Nigeria to assert itself and no longer be taken for granted.
“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,” the CDS said.
“We were invited with our team. Half has gone and half has been denied. It’s very disappointing.”
Commending the CDS for his openness, Ribadu expressed his displeasure at the treatment by the Canadian authorities.
“Thank you for the courage to say Canada denied you visas. They can go to hell,” Ribadu said. “Even though it’s painful, it’s disrespectful, but we are peaceful and strong, and I agree with you that it is time to fix our country.
“Yet, this is another reason we work hard to make Nigeria work.”
The NSA also praised Musa’s leadership in the fight against insecurity, noting the growing collaboration among security agencies across various regions of the country.
