LIZARD FEASTS

Anger, fear, uncertainty, restlessness, stubbornness, and pride were the emotions Biafrans were forced to manage and harness for fighting a war that had been thrust upon them by the same forces that had chased them out of Nigeria. Like their older compatriots, young people, who had been forced out of school, sought out various ways to cope. Lizard Feasts is a first–person account of one teenager's experiences from shortly before and through the duration of the war. From work in a military hospital as a Red Cross volunteer to enlisting in the air force, the author meticulously recounts many memorable events that paint an authentic picture for the reader. A total air, land, and sea blockade had been imposed on Biafra. Uli Airport became the only entry point into Biafra, and to the Nigerian forces, the incapacitation or total destruction of Uli would become an all–consuming war strategy. The author, working in air traffic control and in the underground operations room at the airport, vividly describes the hazards and chaos posed by the marauding enemy planes, the courage of the flight crews who continued to fly in and out despite the risks, the doggedness and resourcefulness of the Biafran personnel who kept the airport operational under very daunting circumstances, and some very memorable personal experiences. The war ended the day after Uli fell to the Nigerian forces.

-- Innocent Ukabam PHD