WAYC Condemns Canadian Embassy, Calls for Immediate Suspension of Activities in Nigeria
From Abdullahi Alhassan, Kaduna
The West Africa Youth Congress (WAYC) has called on the Nigerian government to immediately suspend the activities of the Canadian Embassy in Nigeria over the alleged disrespectful treatment of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and other senior military officers.
In a press statement signed and made available to journalists by Ambassador Mohammed Ahmed Marafa, WAYC expressed strong disapproval of the embassy’s actions.
“It has come to our attention that Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, who also serves as the Defence Chief of the entire West African region, was denied a visa along with some of his top military officers by the Canadian embassy. This blatant act of disrespect and embarrassment should not be tolerated or ignored by the Nigerian government,” the statement read.
WAYC further criticized the Canadian government for extending an invitation to the CDS and his team to attend an official event honoring war veterans, only to deny them visas. “This demonstrates a significant level of disregard for Nigeria’s military leadership,” the statement added.
The organization has issued a three-week ultimatum for the Canadian embassy to issue a formal apology. Failure to do so, it warned, would lead to mass protests to express discontent over the humiliation of senior military officials.
“We urge the Nigerian government to suspend the operations of the Canadian Embassy in Nigeria until the Canadian government apologizes for this shameful incident,” the statement emphasized.
WAYC also commended the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Gwabin Musa, OFR, and his team for the maturity and restraint they have shown in handling the situation, preventing what could have escalated into a larger diplomatic conflict.
