GOWON: US, BRITAIN ARMS REFUSAL DROVE NIGERIA TO SOVIET UNION AND BLACK MARKET ARMS DEALER DURING CIVIL WAR. (PHOTO).

 Gowon: US, Britain Arms Refusal Drove Nigeria to Soviet Union and Black Market Arms Dealer During Civil War

Former Head of State General Yakubu Gowon (retd.) has disclosed that the refusal of the United States and Britain to supply arms to Nigeria during the 1967-1970 civil war forced his government to seek military support from the Soviet Union and a Lebanese black-market arms supplier.

In Chapter Fifteen of his 859-page autobiography, My Life of Duty and Allegiance, Gowon detailed how dwindling ammunition stocks compelled him to explore unconventional sources to sustain federal operations. The chapter, titled “If The Devil’s Ready To Help,” was made public at the book’s launch in Abuja on Tuesday, where President Bola Tinubu was represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima.

By late 1968, Nigeria’s army ammunition stockpile had fallen to just half a million rounds, a quantity Gowon said was insufficient to sustain prolonged operations. Traditional Western allies, he noted, remained unwilling to provide military hardware due to international sales restrictions.

“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.

He ordered federal troops to hold positions after the capture of Enugu, up to Okigwe and Umuahia, rather than risk advancing without adequate supplies. Gowon expressed particular disappointment at the contrast between Western inaction toward Nigeria and their robust military involvement in Vietnam and Cambodia.

In a crucial meeting with the British and American ambassadors, Gowon made his position clear. “If I say I’m not disappointed, it will be an understatement,” he recounted. “I, however, left them in no doubt that I had a duty and responsibility to keep Nigeria united and safe... so I will go to any devil to get what I need to deal with the problem.”

With no commitments from the West, Gowon directed his Principal Secretary, Hamza Ahmadu, to engage the Soviet Ambassador, Mr. Aleksandr Romanov. A Nigerian delegation, led by Commissioner of Information Anthony Enahoro and including senior military and diplomatic officials, was sent to Moscow.

“The Soviet Union supplied us some MiG-15 trainers and MiG-17 bombers... which was a huge success,” Gowon wrote. He added that the relationship with Moscow grew into something “special” following the war.

However, Soviet supplies alone could not immediately resolve the ammunition crisis. Gowon then turned to Lebanese businessman Ali Jamal, who “strongly believed in Nigeria” and offered to personally finance the procurement of arms and ammunition on an interest-free basis, to be reimbursed later.

“Jamal was not deterred even after I told him that I had no money with which to make immediate payments,” Gowon stated. “With his support, we were able to get some of the hardware and the ammunition we needed to change the face of the war.”

The arrangement faced internal opposition at the Federal Executive Council when Finance Commissioner Chief Obafemi Awolowo objected, citing lack of due process and concerns over extra-budgetary expenditure. Gowon said he was forced to assert his authority as Head of State to ensure the war effort continued.

“I’m afraid I’ll want to use my powers and authority... to give any department the order to do what is required to be done,” he told Awolowo. He later expressed pride in his team’s commitment to due process, noting that Jamal was eventually paid in full.

The 859-page autobiography, spanning 36 chapters, chronicles Gowon’s life from his origins in Plateau State through his military career, the civil war years, his removal from office in 1975, and subsequent exile and academic pursuits.