The Beautification Of Lynching

The Beautification Of Lynching

Ajegunle, Lagos, Nigeria, March 6, 2033.

"Hol am! Hol am!! Hol am!!!"
"Thief! Thief!! Thief!!!"
"Ole! Ole!! Ole!!!"
"Onye Ori! Onye Ori!! Onye Ori!!!"
"Barawo! Barawo!! Barawo!!!"
"Catch him! Burn him!! Kill him!!!"
Hold That Boy! Do not let him escape!

And everybody went after him in hot pursuit with full fury
Brandishing all sorts of machetes and clubs and even stones
As well as locally-made pistols and double-barrel guns
With the breast-flapping market women thronging after the men
With kitchen utensils shouting and swearing in unison
"We must lynch him to death today, not even tomorrow"
"We must send him back to where he belongs to today"

Within minutes they caught up with
The tired, thirsty, tattered-looking lad
Still in the prime of his teenagehood
About 16 or 17 or something like that
A poor wretched-looking jobless lad
One of many victims of a corrupt government
Pushed by his country to stealing just to survive

And they beat a hell out of him
Just like a tinker does to a stubborn pan
Then put a tyre round his tender neck
Poured gallons of fuel on him
And burnt him to death just for stealing a Banana
And that was how his young life ended abruptly
A fate that should have befallen the corrupt leaders.

Chukwunwikezarramu Okumephuna
London, United Kingdom
Oxfam