By Sarah Baafi
The Nigerian government has expressed strong condemnation of Canada’s decision to deny visas to several senior military officers, including Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa. The visa denials prevented a portion of the Nigerian delegation from attending an official assignment and an event honoring war veterans in Canada.
General Musa reported that half of his team was unable to travel to Canada on Wednesday due to visa application issues. Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo has characterized the actions of Canadian officials as “disrespectful” to Nigerian. National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, also criticized the move, with even stronger language. The Arewa Think Tank (ATT) alleged that “fifth columnists” within the corridors of power orchestrated the visa denial to embarrass President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
The Canadian High Commission in Nigeria has acknowledged the situation but has refrained from providing specific details regarding the affected individuals, citing “privacy reasons” They stated that they are aware of media reports but cannot comment on the status of visa applications of specific individuals.
According to The Nation, a Nigerian government source indicated that the visa denials were due to a diplomatic error in the applications, specifically the absence of a Note Verbale from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The government is reportedly working with the Canadian embassy to resolve the issue.
The visa denials come two weeks after Canada introduced new regulations granting immigration officers greater authority to cancel temporary resident documents under certain circumstances, with the aim of bolstering border security and protecting public safety.
Reactions to the visa denials have been strong. General Musa expressed his disappointment, noting that the team had been invited to an event in Canada to honour war veterans. Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser (NSA), condemned Canada’s action. Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo also stated that denying a visa to a high-ranking official is disrespectful to the entire country.
