Aminu Kano

===== Civil war (1967—1970) =====
{{Main article|Nigerian Civil War}}
Three days following the division of the regions, Ojukwu declared the independence of the Eastern Region, which was to be known as the [[Biafra|Republic of Biafra]].<ref name=":27" />{{Rp|page=390}} After the government's failed attempts at a "police action", the Military-Government responded with land and sea blockades. Afterwards, the Biafran army invaded and seized control of the [[Mid-Western Region, Nigeria|Mid-Western State]] (Bendel), leading to a declaration of war by Gowon.<ref name=":29" />{{Rp|page=162}}

Throughout the war, Aminu remained active as a member of the FEC. He led the procurement committee tasked with acquiring arms, which involved extensive travel around the world, including [[Europe]], the [[United States]], the [[Soviet Union]], and [[North Africa]], to negotiate arms deals.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Moses |first=A. Dirk |url=https://books.google.com.ng/books?id=Vk0rDwAAQBAJ |title=Postcolonial Conflict and the Question of Genocide: The Nigeria-Biafra War, 1967–1970 |last2=Heerten |first2=Lasse |date=2017-07-06 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-1-351-85866-3 |pages=184 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=O-dHAAAAIBAJ |title=Soviet Moving In With Aid To Rich, Populous Nigeria |date=23 March 1970 |publisher=The Morning Record |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last= |url=http://archive.org/details/intelligencer-november-1968 |title=Intelligencer November 1968 |date=November 1968 |pages=10}}</ref><ref name=":31" /> In May 1968, Aminu participated in peace talks between Nigeria and Biafra held in [[Kampala|Kampala, Uganda]], one year into the civil war. [[Chinua Achebe]], the influential Nigerian writer, also attended the talks as part of the Biafran delegation. This meeting was the first time Achebe met Aminu, and he recalled:<blockquote>I remember very well seeing Aminu Kano of the Nigerian delegation sitting in front and looking so distressed. This is one of the strongest impressions the man made on me, compared to people like Chief [[Anthony Enahoro|Enahoro]] who was the leader of the delegation swaggering as conquerors, and even [[Ukpabi Asika|Asika]]. Aminu Kano seemed to be so different; in fact, he seemed to be looking out of the window. While his colleagues were speaking arrogantly and bent on our surrender, Aminu Kano was calm and in pain.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ezenwa-Ohaeto |first= |url=http://archive.org/details/chinuaachebebiog0000ezen |title=Chinua Achebe : A Biography |date=1997 |publisher=Bloomington : Indiana University Press |others=Internet Archive |isbn=978-0-253-33342-1 |author-link=Ezenwa-Ohaeto}}</ref>{{Rp|page=138}}

This was a man who was not pleased with either side or how the matter was being handled. That meeting made an indelible mark on me about Aminu Kano, about his character and his intellect.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Achebe |first=Chinua |url=http://archive.org/details/there-was-a-country-a-personal-history-of-biafra_202011 |title=There Was A Country A Personal History Of Biafra |pages=162 |author-link=Chinua Achebe}}</ref></blockquote>Aminu approached the war not as a conflict against the Igbo people or the former Eastern Region, but as a war against secession. During a speech to students at Kano's [[Bayero University Kano|Abdullahi Bayero College]] in February 1970, he urged Nigerians, and the government, to properly prepare for the return of Biafrans. Aminu stressed:<blockquote>There is the problem of reintegration of the Ibos. They left a large part of this country, and a lot of what they left has been taken over by the indigenes of the place. What are they to do? This is important since we are fighting them to stay in Nigeria. We are saying, "You can't go away. You must remain Nigerian." When they come back, can you deny them the right to own plots or land? You can't do that. How can the common Ibo take that? They said, "We want to go away." We said, "No, you must remain in Nigeria." They will say, "Now we are back." What do we do? These are problems that must be faced. It is not a simple problem. It is not enough to say the houses in Sabon Gari, the houses in Tudun Wada, the houses in Kaduna are being taken care of. Will they come back? With their industry? With a bigger desire to stay in Nigeria? A lot of our sons and daughters went and died in the name of unity to contain the Ibos in Nigeria. Can you afford to ostracize them now? You can't. What are you going to do? What is your program? You must begin to plan from now. It is not enough ot say, "Oh yes, they are coming back."<ref name=":14" />{{Rp|page=356}}</blockquote>