The High Commission of Canada in Nigeria has responded to reports concerning the denial of visas to Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, and other senior military officers planning to travel for an event in Canada.

In a terse statement on its official X handle (formerly Twitter) on Friday, the High Commission acknowledged media reports on the matter but declined to comment on status of visa applications of specific individuals, 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.

The development came after General Musa disclosed on Thursday at the maiden annual lecture of the National Association of the Institute for Security Studies (AANISS) in Abuja that he and some of his colleagues were denied visas to attend an event in Canada.

“Every disappointment is a blessing. Yesterday, 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.

“We were invited with our team. Half has gone, and half has been denied. It’s very disappointing,” he added.

The visa denial has sparked discussions in diplomatic and military circles, with observers questioning the rationale behind the decision. However, Canada’s High Commission has yet to provide further clarification.

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