Former Head of State Yakubu Gowon has revealed that the refusal of the United States and United Kingdom to supply arms to Nigeria during the civil war pushed his government into seeking military assistance from the Soviet Union and a Lebanese black-market businessman.
The revelations are contained in Gowon’s newly launched autobiography, My Life of Duty and Allegiance, unveiled in Abuja on Tuesday, May 19, during an event attended by senior government officials, with President Bola Tinubu represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
In Chapter Fifteen of the 859-page memoir, titled If The Devil’s Ready To Help, Gowon recounted the severe ammunition shortage faced by Nigerian forces during the civil war, which lasted from July 1967 to January 1970. According to him, Nigeria’s ammunition stockpile had dwindled to about half a million rounds for the entire army by late 1968, making it impossible to sustain military operations.
“As the weeks of fighting wore on, our stock of ammunition was steadily depleted by these wastes, and we could not replenish them because international sales restrictions prevented suppliers from selling military hardware to Nigeria,” Gowon wrote. The former military ruler said he ordered federal troops to halt further advances after the capture of Enugu due to the shortage of ammunition.
“Left with no choice, I ordered the Federal troops to hold their position after the capture of Enugu up to Okigwe and Umuahia because I could not, in clear conscience, commit them to further advance knowing that the ammunition to sustain the effort was in short supply,” he stated.
Gowon said he was disappointed by the attitude of Nigeria’s Western allies, particularly given the military involvement of the United States in conflicts such as Vietnam and Cambodia during the same period. He recalled meeting with the British and American ambassadors in what he described as one of the most consequential moments of the war.
“If I say I’m not disappointed, it will be an understatement,” he wrote. “I, however, left them in no doubt that I had a duty and responsibility to keep Nigeria united and safe for all Nigerians and other nationals resident in Nigeria.” According to Gowon, he warned the diplomats that he would seek assistance from any source necessary to preserve Nigeria’s unity.
“As they were about to enter their cars, preparatory to leaving the State House, I said, if I say I’m not disappointed, it will be an understatement, so I will go to any devil to get what I need to deal with the problem, to do my duty to my country, and when that happens, I hope I will not be accused of doing something wrong,” he said. Gowon said both ambassadors left without offering any commitment.
The former Head of State explained that he subsequently directed his Principal Secretary, Hamza Ahmadu, to contact Soviet Ambassador Aleksandr Romanov at Dodan Barracks. He said a Nigerian delegation led by former Information Commissioner Anthony Enahoro, Permanent Secretary Edwin Ogbu, Chief of Air Staff Emmanuel George Kurubo and Ambassador John Ukegbu was immediately dispatched to Moscow.
“The Soviet Union supplied us some MiG-15 trainers and MiG-17 bombers for the meeting, which was a huge success,” Gowon wrote. According to him, the relationship between Nigeria and the Soviet Union became significantly closer after the war due to what he described as Western indifference.
However, Gowon said Soviet support alone was insufficient to resolve the immediate ammunition crisis. To address the shortage, he turned to Lebanese businessman Ali Jamal, whom he described as someone who “strongly believed in Nigeria.”
According to Gowon, Jamal offered to personally finance the procurement of ammunition and military equipment with the understanding that he would later be reimbursed without interest. “Jamal was not deterred even after I told him that I had no money with which to make immediate payments for the purchases,” Gowon wrote.
“He told me not to worry and that he would use his own money to provide the ammunition we needed but would want to be reimbursed interest-free at the shortest possible time. With his support, we were able to get some of the hardware and the ammunition we needed to change the face of the war,” he added.
Gowon also disclosed that the arrangement triggered disagreements within the Federal Executive Council after former Finance Commissioner Obafemi Awolowo reportedly refused to approve payment because due process had not been followed.
“I was aghast because it suddenly appeared to me that the Finance Commissioner and others at the FEC did not understand the depth of the problem I was in to ensure the survival of the men in the field and that war was successfully prosecuted,” Gowon said.
He said he eventually invoked his authority as Head of State to approve the payments. “I’m afraid I’ll want to use my powers and authority, which I think I can do as Head of State and Head of Government, to give any department the order to do what is required to be done,” he recalled telling Awolowo. Despite the disagreement, Gowon praised members of his government for insisting on due process.
“Although I used anger and the power of my office to win the argument and retain the integrity of the nation with my friend, I felt proud of my team that always insisted on following due process to justify every action and every expenditure,” he wrote.
The former military ruler added that Jamal was eventually fully reimbursed by the government. The autobiography spans 36 chapters and details Gowon’s life from his upbringing in Plateau State through his military career, the Nigerian civil war, his overthrow in 1975 and his years in exile and academic study.
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