The Defence Headquarters has clarified that the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, did not at any point call for citizens to bear arms or engage in unlawful possession of firearms.
Musa had in an interview on Channels Television on Thursday, asked Nigerians to acquire basic combat and self-defence skills as a means of survival in insecure environment.
In a statement on Friday, the Director of Defence Information, Brig. Gen.l Tukur Gusau, said the CDS only encouraged Nigerians to acquire basic survival and self-protection skills such as driving, swimming, taekwondo, judo and boxing.
The statement partly read, “The Defence Headquarters has noted with concern deliberate attempts to misrepresent comments by the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, during a Channels Television interview on Thursday evening 20 August 2025.
In that interview, the CDS encouraged Nigerians to develop basic survival and self‑protection skills—likening such training to widely accepted life skills such as driving, taekwando, judo and swimming, boxing amongst others.
“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.”
Gusau said the Nigerian Armed Forces and other security agencies were recording successes in ongoing operations against insecurity, assuring that the safety of citizens remained a top priority.
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