Nigerian government officials have criticised Canada for refusing visas to several senior military officials, including the country's top military officer. Chief of Defence Staff Christopher Musa said the delegation was supposed to attend an event honouring Nigeria’s wounded army veterans.

Musa stated, "Half of my team... they've already gone," during a gathering on Thursday in Abuja, the country's capital. However, "for the knowledge best known to them, the Canadian embassy denied us a visa," he continued. On its X account, Canada's embassy in Nigeria acknowledged knowledge of the issue but refrained from commenting further, claiming "privacy reasons." Although Musa did not say when the visas were rejected, Canada said on Wednesday that it had added new rules that gave its officers the authority to "cancel temporary resident documents."

The goal of the measure is to protect the integrity of the nation's visa programs and strengthen border security. Musa said the team was supposed to participate in the ongoing Invictus Winter Games in Vancouver, but half of the team is still in Nigeria. The games entered their fifth day on Friday. On the same occasion as Musa, Nuhu Ribadu, the national security adviser for Nigeria, declared that Canada "can go to hell" over the "disrespectful" visa denial. The audience erupted in cheers at his comment.

Canada will look into "diplomatic solutions," according to Interior Minister Tunji Olubunmi-Ojo, who also accused the country of disrespecting Nigeria.