<p> </p><p>—</p><p>A car sped down the road, carrying six young men and women, laughter and cheers filling the air inside. It was around 1:00 AM, and they were returning from a birthday party thrown by one of them for his girlfriend.</p><p>The party had taken place not in the city but in the remote village of Bununu, outside Bauchi. They had chosen this location to avoid prying eyes. It was held on a farm, and many people attended. There was music, dancing, and drinking. As the night deepened, the guests left one by one, each heading their separate way.</p><p>This was the last car leaving the party, and it belonged to the organizers. They drove recklessly, music blasting, windows shut, still caught up in the excitement of the night.</p><p>Just as they exited the village and entered a small forest, smoke began to rise from the car. The driver quickly hit the brakes, and they all jumped out.</p><p>Upon checking, they realized the radiator water had completely dried up. But there was no water nearby to refill it.</p><p>One of them, frustrated, kicked the tire. His friend, Najib, placed a hand on his shoulder and asked, “Are you okay, Nabeel?”</p><p>Nabeel sighed. “There's no water in this car, Najib.”</p><p>One of the girls, Sumy, panicked. “We're in trouble now, honey! What do we do? Everyone else has left, and we’re stuck in the middle of a forest. I’m scared!”</p><p>Nabeel pulled her into his arms, rubbing her back. “Calm down, dear. Nothing will happen to us. Just get inside the car and sleep. We’ll guard you. There’s nowhere to find water at this hour. We'll wait till morning.”</p><p>Sumy shivered. “I’m in serious trouble, Khairat. My dad doesn’t even know I came here. Only my mom does, and she warned me not to stay out too late. My dad will beat me if he finds out.”</p><p>Khairat reassured her. “Relax, Sumy. Your mom supports you; she won’t let your dad find out. Besides, we came all this way just for your party. But if you're really worried, call her and tell her the car broke down, and you’ll spend the night at my place.”</p><p>Sumy turned to another friend, Zuby. “Zuby, give me my phone from my bag.”</p><p>Nabeel interjected. “There’s no network here, Sumy. Your call won’t go through. Just be patient till morning.”</p><p>He then turned to his friend Saif. “Saif, get the prayer mat from the car so we can sit.”</p><p>As Saif turned to get it, they suddenly found themselves surrounded. It was as if the men had appeared from nowhere—dark-skinned, fierce-looking men with no shirts, wearing only short trousers and loincloths. Their faces held no sign of mercy.</p><p>The girls screamed and clung to their boyfriends, trembling. Even the men in the group were terrified. One of the attackers let out a sinister laugh.</p><p>Without a word, the strangers began pushing them forward, forcing them to walk deep into the forest.</p><p>At first, the group cried in fear, but exhaustion soon took over. The walk lasted nearly an hour and a half, through the pitch-black night.</p><p>By the time they arrived, the girls were completely out of their senses. They had reached the heart of the jungle, where they saw more of these men sitting around a fire, celebrating.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
