The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has clarified the comment made by the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General CG Musa, during a television interview on “Self-Defence Skills”.
A statement made available to defence correspondents in Abuja by the Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, explained that CDS’s remark aimed at encouraging Nigerians to cultivate basic self-protection and survival skills — not to bear arms, as has been misinterpreted in some quarters.
General Musa, speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, 21 August called on Nigerians to acquire combat skills to protect themselves amid rising security concerns. He compared learning martial arts like Karate, Taekwondo, and Judo to essential survival skills such as driving and swimming, emphasising their importance regardless of whether the country is at war or not.
The DHQ noted with concern deliberate attempts to misrepresent the CDS’s comments and insisted that, in the interview, the CDS only encouraged Nigerians to develop basic survival and self-protection skills.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the CDS did not call for citizens to bear arms or to engage in unlawful possession of firearms. He is fully aware of Nigerian laws prohibiting the unauthorised carrying of weapons. His message was intended to promote personal resilience, situational awareness and lawful preparedness — not to encourage illegal activity”, the DHQ stated, assuring citizens that their safety remains a top priority and that security efforts are ongoing.
The DHQ further emphasised that the Nigerian Armed Forces and other security agencies continue to record significant successes in the fight against insecurity nationwide, and therefore urged the public to consult original sources and verified reports when interpreting public statements, and to avoid sharing distorted or misleading accounts.
