National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu has angrily condemned the Canadian embassy's decision to deny visas to Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Christopher Musa and other military leaders.

The incident came to light during the inaugural annual lecture of the National Association of the Institute for Security Studies (AANISS) in Abuja on Thursday, where CDS Musa revealed that he and several top military officers were unable to attend a veterans' honor ceremony in Canada due to visa denials.

"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 explained. "We were invited with our team. Half has gone and half has been denied. It's very disappointing."

The CDS viewed the situation as a reminder that Nigeria must "stand on its own, stand strong as a nation and should no longer be taken for granted."

Responding to Musa's disclosure, an visibly angry Ribadu commended the CDS's candor before delivering his pointed response: "Thank you for the courage to say Canada denied you visas. They can go to hell."

The NSA acknowledged the disrespect shown but emphasized Nigeria's resilience: "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."

During the event, Ribadu also recognized Musa's "purposeful leadership" in combating insecurity and highlighted the ongoing collaboration among security agencies across Nigeria.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​