The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, has advised Nigerians to learn combat skills to protect themselves in the face of danger.
The defence chief stated this as a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Thursday.
He likened the acquisition of martial arts like Karate, Taekwondo, and Judo to driving, swimming and other survival skills.
Asked whether he would advise Nigerians to learn combat skills for self-defence, General Musa said, “That one should be taken as learning driving, learning how to swim. Whether we have war or not, it is a survival instinct.
“In Europe, swimming is compulsory. Learning and teaching about security is compulsory. because you have to learn what security is.”
General Musa said the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) ought to train Nigerian graduates on unarmed combat skills for day-to-day survival against dark-hearted men.
He said, “That’s what the NYSC is supposed to do, but the NYSC has been watered down to three weeks.
“I think it is important that we can give every Nigerian security awareness at whatever level. Self-defence is very important. Unarmed combat. Swimming. Driving. These are critical aspects for human endeavours.
“These are things we should never take for granted because they prepare you for the future. The world we are in now is dangerous. We have individuals who don’t mean people well. They kill for whatever reason.”
General Musa said security is the business of all Nigerians, even as he urged citizens to be situationally aware of their surroundings to fish out strange and suspicious faces.
General Musa said terrorists in Nigeria are increasingly using gold as a means to finance their operations.
He explained that terror financiers rely on complex networks, including international connections, which make it difficult to immediately expose or prosecute them.
When asked about the main source of financing for these groups, the defence chief replied, “Gold. They try to circulate this money, and that is why we need to be able to track these things.
“The process is on. It has to do with a lot of legal issues, and because it has to do with international connections, some of them have funds coming from outside, we cannot do anything from within.”
He admitted that bad road networks and difficult terrains are limiting the military’s ability to respond swiftly to terror and bandit attacks across Nigeria.
General Musa said many Nigerians often expect immediate intervention from members of the Armed Forces without understanding the logistical challenges involved.
“A lot of people think (members of) the military are magicians; we are not, we are humans just like anybody. Most times, in these areas where attacks occur, there are either no networks or the roads are very bad.
“By the time the information reaches you, the terrorists or bandits already know—they strike quickly, and within five minutes they have disappeared because they have easier mobility to move out as fast as possible,” he said.
The defence chief explained that in the North-East, the threat of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) makes movement particularly slow.
He assured Nigerians that troops are on the trail of insurgents and won’t relent until they are crushed.
