|By Adejumo Adekunle –

ABUJA – The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has called for urgent clarifications from the Office of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) following allegations that Canada denied visas to top Nigerian military officers, including CDS General Christopher Musa.

The controversy erupted after reports surfaced that a 70-man military delegation was scheduled to attend the Invictus Winter Games in Canada—an event seemingly irrelevant to Nigeria, a tropical nation with no winter sports culture.

In a strongly worded statement, HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, questioned the logic behind such a large delegation. He demanded transparency on whether the trip was to be funded by Nigeria or Canada and how it was justified amid Nigeria’s ongoing security crises.

“Nigeria has no winter. So why was the Chief of Defence Staff leading 70 officers to a winter sports event? How does this benefit our military veterans who have never trained for winter conditions?” Onwubiko asked, citing the Freedom of Information Act as a basis for demanding accountability.

Adding fuel to the fire, former National Human Rights Commission Chairman, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, blasted the military’s reaction to the visa denials. In a viral post on X (formerly Twitter), he ridiculed the outrage expressed by the officers and slammed the government for mishandling the situation.

“How does anyone justify sending over 70 officers, led by the CDS, to the Invictus Winter Games? When did Nigeria start doing winter?” Odinkalu wrote.

He also accused senior government officials, including National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, of embarrassing the nation with their response to Canada’s decision.

HURIWA emphasized that these allegations are too serious to ignore, warning that failure to address them would be a “grave disservice to Nigerians.”

“Nigeria is grappling with terrorism and financial constraints, yet we’re funding a frivolous trip to a winter event? This is unacceptable,” the statement read.

With public outrage mounting, pressure is now on the military leadership to break their silence and provide Nigerians with real answers.