Gen. Christopher Musa, the Chief of Defence Staff alongside some top military officers have been denied visas to Canada by the Canadian Embassy.
The affected officers were said to have applied for Canadian visas without Note Verbale (Diplomatic note) from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
An anonymous top government source said: “There was a diplomatic error on the part of desk officers who handled the CDS and others’ visa applications.
“There was no Note Verbale from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs contrary to existing protocol for any trip by high-ranking government officials.
“Since, those going for the trip are top military chiefs.
“At this level, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ought to attach a Note Verbale indicating that the trip was genuine without security implications.”
Responding to a question, the source added: “The Federal Government is discussing with Canadian Embassy officials to salvage the situation.
“All I can tell you is that there is no diplomatic issue with Canada. We are only trying to get a few things right.”
Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser (NSA), condemned the Canadian government for denying visas to General Musa and other top military officers.
Speaking at the maiden annual lecture of the National Association of the Institute for Security Studies (AANISS) in Abuja, Ribadu said Canada “can go to hell”.
He spoke following Gen. Musa’s comment on the development.
Gen. Musa said he and his team were scheduled to attend a war veterans event in Canada but were denied entry.
“There’s an event to honour our veterans, those injured during battles, and we were meant to be there.
“We were invited with our team. Half of the team have gone and the other half have been denied. It’s very disappointing,” Musa said.
Ribadu hailed the CDS for speaking openly about the incident and called for a stronger Nigeria that would no longer be taken for granted.
The NSA said: “Thank you for the courage to say Canada denied you visas. They can go to hell.
“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.”
Ribadu also praised Gen. Musa for his leadership in the fight against insecurity, highlighting the ongoing collaboration among Nigeria’s security agencies to strengthen national security.
