The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, has urged Nigerians to acquire combat skills to protect themselves in the face of growing insecurity.
Speaking as a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, General Musa likened learning martial arts such as Karate, Taekwondo, and Judo to other essential survival skills like swimming and driving.
Asked whether he would advise Nigerians to learn combat skills for self-defence, the defence chief 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.”
He further emphasised that the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) should incorporate training in unarmed combat for Nigerian graduates as a means of preparing them for day-to-day survival against criminals.
“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 are able to 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 also stressed that security is a collective responsibility, urging Nigerians to remain vigilant and pay attention to their surroundings in order to identify strange and suspicious individuals.
