Former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, has revealed that the refusal of the United States and the United Kingdom to supply arms to Nigeria during the civil war forced his administration to seek military assistance from the Soviet Union and a Lebanese black market arms dealer.
Gowon made the disclosure in Chapter Fifteen of his newly unveiled 859-page autobiography titled “My Life of Duty and Allegiance,” presented in Abuja on Tuesday. President Bola Tinubu was represented at the launch by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
In the chapter titled “If The Devil’s Ready To Help,” the former military leader recounted the severe difficulties his government faced in procuring weapons as the Nigerian Civil War intensified between 1967 and 1970.
According to Gowon, Nigeria’s ammunition reserves had dropped dangerously low by late 1968, leaving the military with barely half a million rounds of ammunition for the entire Army.
“As the weeks of fighting wore on, our stock of ammunition was steadily depleted, and we could not replenish them because international sales restrictions prevented suppliers from selling military hardware to Nigeria,” Gowon wrote.
He explained that the shortage became so critical that he ordered federal troops to halt further advances after the capture of Enugu and maintain positions around Okigwe and Umuahia.
“Left with no choice, I ordered the Federal troops to hold their position 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 also expressed disappointment over the stance of Western powers, particularly the United States and the United Kingdom, despite their active military engagements elsewhere at the time, including the Vietnam and Cambodia conflicts.
The former Head of State recalled holding what he described as one of the most important meetings of the war with British and American ambassadors in a bid to secure support for Nigeria.
“If I say I’m not disappointed, it will be an understatement,” he said.
According to him, he reminded the diplomats of his constitutional responsibility to preserve Nigeria’s unity and ensure the protection of all citizens and foreign nationals residing in the country.
Gowon said he eventually informed the ambassadors that he would seek support from any available source to defend the nation.
“I will go to any devil to get what I need to deal with the problem and do my duty to my country,” he recalled telling them.
He noted that although the diplomats left the meeting without making any commitment, he had already resolved to pursue alternative military support to sustain Nigeria’s war efforts.
Credit: TheCable
