Ribadu Blasts Canada Over Visa Denial for Nigerian Military Chiefs

Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, has strongly condemned the Canadian government’s decision to deny visas to Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, and other top military officers.

According to PUNCH, Ribadu who spoke on Thursday at the maiden annual lecture of the National Association of the Institute for Security Studies in Abuja, described the move as “disrespectful” and boldly stated, “They can go to hell”.

The controversy began when Gen Musa revealed that he and some senior military officers were denied entry into Canada for an official engagement. Musa explained that the delegation had been invited to an event honoring war veterans, but the embassy denied visas to some of its members.

“Every disappointment is a blessing. Yesterday, I was meant to be in Canada for an event to honour our veterans—those injured in battle. We were invited along with our team, but while half of us got visas, the other half was denied. It’s very disappointing,” Musa said.

Musa viewed the incident as a wake-up call for Nigeria to strengthen its sovereignty, stating, “This is a reminder that we must stand on our own, stand strong as a nation, and refuse to be taken for granted.”

Ribadu commended Musa for publicly addressing the issue and emphasized the need for Nigeria to focus on building its own strength rather than seeking validation from foreign nations.

“Thank you for the courage to say Canada denied you visas. They can go to hell,” Ribadu declared. “Even though it’s painful and disrespectful, we are peaceful, we are strong, and I agree with you—it is time to fix our country. This is yet another reason we must work hard to make Nigeria work.”