The Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, has urged Nigerians to acquire combat skills to defend themselves in times of danger.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Thursday, he compared martial arts such as Karate, Taekwondo, and Judo to driving and swimming, describing them as essential survival skills.
He explained, “People should treat self-defence training just like learning to drive or swim. War or no war, it is a basic instinct for survival. In Europe, swimming is compulsory, and security awareness is taught because everyone must understand safety.”
General Musa stressed that the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) should train graduates in unarmed combat to help them cope with threats from violent individuals.
He said, “The NYSC has been watered down to just three weeks, but it should be equipping graduates with self-defence, unarmed combat, swimming, and driving skills. These are essential for survival in today’s dangerous world where some individuals kill without reason.”
The defence chief emphasised that security remains everyone’s responsibility. He advised Nigerians to stay alert, identify suspicious persons, and remain situationally aware.
On terrorism, General Musa disclosed that terrorist groups in Nigeria increasingly fund their operations through gold transactions. He explained that financiers use complex international networks, making it difficult to track or prosecute them quickly.
“Gold is their main source of finance. Because of international links, tracing these funds requires legal processes beyond our immediate control,” he said.
General Musa admitted that poor road networks and difficult terrains often delay military responses to attacks. He said, “People expect us to act instantly, but in many areas there is no network coverage and the roads are terrible. By the time we arrive, terrorists often escape within minutes due to their mobility.”
He added that improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in the North-East slow down troop movements, but assured citizens that operations against insurgents continue relentlessly.
On the arrest of pro-Biafra agitator Simon Ekpa in Finland in November 2024, General Musa confirmed that Finnish authorities are prosecuting him. He noted that Ekpa’s detention has brought relative peace to the Southeast.
“Our troops are pursuing his associates in Imo, Enugu, Anambra, Ebonyi, and Abia states. We shall track them down wherever they are,” he said.
General Musa also hailed the recent arrest of Ansaru terrorist commanders, attributing the success to synergy between the Nigerian Army, Navy, and Air Force. He added that further collaboration would be pursued at the African Chiefs of Defence Staff conference scheduled to begin on Monday.