Former military Head of State, Yakubu Gowon, has disclosed that former President Olusegun Obasanjo once resisted an order to serve under the late Murtala Muhammed during the Nigerian civil war, insisting he would not work beneath an officer he considered junior to him.
The revelation is contained in Gowon's newly launched autobiography, My Life of Duty and Allegiance, where the retired general recounted tense moments from the early stages of the war and detailed his long relationship with Obasanjo, whom he described as a capable but strong-willed officer.
Gowon Recounts Civil War Disagreement
According to Gowon, the disagreement emerged after he created a Rear Command structure for the newly formed 2 Division under Murtala Muhammed. Obasanjo, who was serving as Sector Commander in the Western State, was expected to operate from Ibadan in a support role involving logistics, supplies and reinforcements. Gowon said Obasanjo opposed the arrangement because he believed the posting placed him beneath a junior officer.
“As a result, he strongly stated that he would never serve under Colonel Murtala Muhammed for any reason,” Gowon wrote.
The former Head of State said he refused to reverse the decision and reminded Obasanjo that military assignments were determined by the Commander-in-Chief. “I stood my ground that, as Commander-in-Chief, I reserved the right to send people to where I believe they could be most useful to the country at any material time,” he stated.
Gowon added that Obasanjo later accepted the posting and carried out his responsibilities effectively. “He relented and took on the role assigned to him.”
Early Bond Between Gowon and Obasanjo
The former military leader also disclosed that he played a major role in shaping Obasanjo's military career long before the civil war. He recalled meeting him in 1958 at an Officers' Mess in the United Kingdom during training. Gowon narrated how Obasanjo assisted him financially at a difficult moment after his arrival in London. The gesture, he said, left a lasting impression on him.
“Obasanjo, on the other hand, was much different. He had more than enough money to pay for himself and to offset my initial bills. I saw that as a great display of a sense of responsibility.”
The retired general said the encounter led him to take a deeper interest in Obasanjo's progress in the army. “I became his informal guardian angel right up to the time I appointed him to take over the command of 3 Marine Commando from Adekunle.”
Claims Over Biafra Mineral Deal
Beyond the Obasanjo episode, Gowon's memoir also revisited events surrounding the civil war and allegations involving Biafran leader Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu. Gowon alleged that Ojukwu secured foreign backing for the secessionist movement by pledging Biafra's mineral resources in a deal involving the Rothschild banking family.
“Indeed, he had pawned the mineral wealth of Biafra to Rothschild for about $10m or an estimated N5m at the time,” he wrote. He said Nigerian authorities uncovered details of the arrangement after intelligence linked to the purchase of a B-26 aircraft was intercepted through the Nigerian Consulate in New York.
The book also touches on other historical events, including why former military president Ibrahim Babangida changed his name, as revealed in his own autobiography.
