Cacophony Of Lies | Emmanuel Inya Otu-Nwachi

We weren't there, the army said
Don't know who sent them,
Don't have the capacity, Sanwo said
Sanwo is lying, the police
Were overwhelmed, he invited us, the army said
We acted on the last order, the army said
We told them 9 pm, they went 6 pm, Sanwo said
We shot in the air, the army said
They shot at us, protesters said
We used blank bullets, the army said
They used live bullets, DJ Switch said
None died, the army said
Two died, Sanwo said
They were violent, the army said
We were chanting the National Anthem, protesters said
Where are the bodies? the army asked
The bodies were taken by the army, protesters say
It's all propaganda since there're no bodies, government apologists said
It's no propaganda, CNN said
We shall visit the morgue, the panel said
It's on an emergency renovation, the army said
The bodies were moved to clean up the evidence, Amnesty said

Cacophony of lies
To impunity and atrocities cover up
By leaders whose aim is to cover
Up the mess and the people to cow
With brutal force but truth's one
And patiently waits at the foot
Of the tree when lies,
Dishonesty and falsehood climb up.

Poet's note: The Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu set up a panel of enquiry to investigate the shooting of protesters at the Lekki toll gate on October 20, 2020. Meanwhile, the governor had denied sending the soldiers and the army had denied having its men at the Lekki toll gate in the first place. However, at panel's sitting there were a lot of inconsistencies as government officials and the army desperately tried to cover up incriminating evidence. The poem examines the defense presented by the governor against that presented by protesters and a CNN documentary which show what really took place.