The Defence Headquarters has clarified that the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, did not at any point call for citizens to bear arms or engage in unlawful possession of firearms.
Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, in a statement said the CDS only encouraged Nigerians to acquire basic survival and self-protection skills such as driving, swimming, taekwondo, judo and boxing.
The statement noted that there are deliberate attempts to distort comments made by the Chief of Defence Staff during a Television interview.
It clarified that the CDS did not call for citizens to bear arms or to engage in unlawful possession of firearms, adding that he is fully aware of Nigerian laws prohibiting the unauthorised carrying of weapons.
Gusau in the statement reaffirmed that the Nigerian Armed Forces and other security agencies are recording successes in ongoing operations against insecurity, assuring that the safety of citizens remained a top priority.