Canada Breaks Silence On Visa Denial To CDS

The Canadian High Commission in Nigeria has responded to claims by Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, that he and other senior military officials were denied visas.

General Musa revealed the situation on Thursday during a lecture at the National Association of the Institute for Security Studies (AANISS) in Abuja. He expressed disappointment, stating that he was meant to travel to Canada on Wednesday for an event honoring injured veterans but was unable to do so due to the visa denial.

“Every disappointment is a blessing. Yesterday (Wednesday), 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,” Musa said.

The visa issue sparked criticism from top officials, including National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, who strongly condemned Canada’s decision. The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, also described the denial as disrespectful to Nigeria.

In response, the Canadian High Commission in Nigeria issued a brief statement on Friday via its X handle. The commission acknowledged news reports in Nigeria about the planned travel but declined to comment on the visa applications, citing privacy reasons.

“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,” the statement read.

GWG.ng reports that the response by the High Commission is not expected to calm the storm in news outlets in Nigeria flowing from the controversy.

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