Battle of Biafra: British Intelligence and Diplomacy in the Nigerian Civil War in Bloomington, MN

In this intriguing new book, Onianwa Oluchukwu Ignatus examines the role of British intelligence in the Nigerian Civil War. British intelligence operations were highly successful due to a decentralized approach. Britain maintained regular supplies of arms to Nigeria despite considerable opposition at home. Thus, up-to-date information was necessary to determine the military behavior of both sides and the practicalities of arms supply for Nigeria. The influx of external forces into the civil war and increased military supplies from the Soviet Union and France also influenced British intelligence assessments. The book’s central argument or, rather, its historical lesson, is that intelligence operations must have a goal and must allow for wider analysis, maximum objectivity, and a diversity of opinion.