MINISTER of State for Defence Bello Matawalle, on Saturday, February 15, said that the recent Canadian visa denial to senior Nigerian military officials constituted a “serious affront” to the nation’s dignity.
The decision, which prevented the Chief of Defence Staff Christopher Musa and other top military leaders from attending a veterans’ event in Canada, has continued to generate national backlash.
The officers were due to attend an event in Canada to honour war veterans but only a portion of the delegates were granted visas. The development angered senior Nigerian officials.
The ICIR had reported how the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, slammed the Canadian Embassy in Nigeria for denying visas to Nigeria’s chief of Defence Staff, Christopher Musa, a general, and other top military officers.
Ribadu expressed frustration at the Canadian embassy’s action on Thursday, February 13, while speaking at the inaugural annual lecture of the Alumni Association of the National Institute for Security Studies (AANISS) in Abuja.
The event, attended by security experts and government officials, focused on national security challenges and international cooperation.
Commenting on the visa denial earlier at the event, the CDS had said his team was invited to the veterans’ event but faced an unexpected setback when some members of the delegation were denied visas.
He described the situation as disappointing but saw it as a reminder for Nigeria to strengthen its independence and resilience.
“We were invited with our team. Half of us have gone, and half have been denied. It’s very disappointing.,” the CDS stated.
According to him, it is a clear reminder that Nigeria must stand on its own as a nation and should no longer be taken for granted, as he described the visa denial as disrespectful.
Canadian Commission declines to comment for ‘privacy reasons’
Meanwhile, on Friday, February 14, the Canadian high commission in Nigeria, via its X handle, stated that it was aware of the media reports on the incident but would not comment on the status of the visa applications.
“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 commission wrote.
Defence Minister vows ‘assertive’ response
In a follow-up statement issued on Saturday, February 15, by Sunday Iyogun, spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence, who quoted Matawale said the government ‘must be prepared to respond appropriately and assertively.’
Matawalle noted there is a need to probe the reasons for the visa denial as it’s a serious affront to Nigeria’s integrity.
“This incident is not merely a bureaucratic oversight; it is a serious affront to our national dignity and integrity.
“If no satisfactory explanation is provided, we must be prepared to respond appropriately and assertively,” the minister said.
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: umustapha@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M