OPERATION LIGHTS OUT chronicles a forgotten story in Canadian history and the role played by unacknowledged Canadians in saving over one million lives during the Nigerian Civil War often referred to as the “Biafran War.”
In 1967, Nigeria plunged into a brutal civil war. Ethnic conflicts and tensions led South-Eastern Nigeria to declare independence and create the Republic of Biafra. As the conflict raged on, hunger and illness ravaged the people of Biafra, particularly women and children, causing more than two million deaths and dislodging hundreds of thousands through forced migrations.
In the midst of this darkness, however, emerged a story of hope, heroism, and humanity. Nigerian-Canadian filmmaker, Angela Onuora, tells this incredible tale in her award-winning documentary film, Operation Lights Out - The Story of Canairelief. The film chronicles the remarkable efforts of Canairelief, a group led primarily by members of The Presbyterian Church in Canada, which ultimately contributed to saving over one million Biafran lives.
