THE Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, has called on Nigerians to learn basic combat skills as part of essential survival training.
Speaking in an interview today, General Musa likened combat training to everyday life skills such as driving and swimming, stressing that self-defence should be treated as a necessary instinct.
“Learning combat is as important as learning to drive or swim. Whether we are in wartime or not, it is about survival. In some parts of Europe, swimming is compulsory. In the same way, Nigerians should also learn about security and self-defence,” Musa explained.
The defence chief further suggested that the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) should incorporate unarmed combat training into its programme to better prepare Nigerian graduates for real-life situations.
He lamented that the scheme, which originally had broader objectives, has been “watered down” to just three weeks of camp activities.
According to him, survival skills such as unarmed combat, swimming, and driving are crucial in today’s unpredictable world, where threats to personal safety are ever-present.
“We must not take these things for granted because they prepare us for the future. The world is dangerous, and there are individuals with ill intent who kill for no reason,” he warned.
General Musa emphasized that security is a shared responsibility, urging citizens to be vigilant and observant of their surroundings in order to identify suspicious activities or persons.