Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, has strongly encouraged all citizens to acquire combat and survival skills such as karate, judo, taekwondo, driving and swimming, emphasizing their importance in ensuring personal safety.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, Gen. Musa likened these skills to essential survival tools and life skills, much like learning to swim or drive.
“Learning combat skills should be as basic as learning how to swim or drive,” he stated. “Even in peacetime, self-defence is a fundamental instinct.”
He advocated for the NYSC (National Youth Service Corps) to integrate practical self-defence training in its program, noting that the typical three-week duration has long been insufficient for meaningful security education.
“NYSC is supposed to build unarmed combat skills for daily survival,” he said, criticizing the erosion of such training over time.
General Musa emphasized that acquiring these skills enhances security awareness and equips individuals to recognize and handle threats proactively.
Gen. Musa revealed that terrorist groups are increasingly using gold to fund their activities, complicating attempts to track and dismantle such operations due to the international nature of these funds.
“Gold is a primary source of financing for terror groups,” he explained. “Tracing it is complicated by international legal barriers.”
Highlighting the limitations of military response in remote areas, Gen. Musa acknowledged that poor road networks and terrain hinder timely intervention in terror and bandit attacks.
“By the time troops are alerted and mobilized, attackers have often already fled, because they know the terrain and can move faster.”
He also noted that the use of IEDs in the North-East further slows troop movement and response times.
Since the arrest of pro-Biafran agitator Simon Ekpa in Finland in November 2024, Gen. Musa observed a marked improvement in peace and security in Southeast Nigeria.
“Ever since Ekpa’s arrest, we have seen relative peace in the Southeast,” he said.
“We’re now actively targeting his lieutenants across Imo, Enugu, Anambra, Ebonyi, and Abia.”
He also commended the successful arrest of Ansaru terrorist leaders, attributing it to exceptional coordination among branches of the Nigerian military, particularly the army, navy and air force.
To enhance anti-terror operations across Africa, Gen. Musa announced the launch of an African Chiefs of Defence Staff conference starting Monday at the Defence Headquarters.
“This conference will foster greater cooperation among military leaders across the continent,” he said, highlighting the need for collaborative security strategies.
