Chapter 2: Baba Musa and the Call for Help

July 28, 2023. Maiduguri.

Old Baba Musa, wey don get experience for desert waka, him phone just ring.

Baba Musa just finish morning prayers, dey sip him kunu under the mango tree when him phone vibrate. He squint at the number. Unknown, but the wahala wey dey follow such call, e dey smell from afar.

Na one young woman dey cry for the other side, “My papa don miss—three days now we never see am…”

Her voice dey tremble like small goat wey cold catch for harmattan. For background, you fit hear small pikin dey cry too, maybe her younger brother. The thing touch Baba Musa, but him still try hold face.

Baba Musa, wey don hear plenty rescue matter, no too reason am at first.

He just dey nod, dey think say na one of those small wahala. "My daughter, calm down. He go turn up soon," he talk, voice soft like elder for village meeting.

But as the girl mention the location, him body just stand.

Na as she talk am—Kudu Banza—na so Baba Musa whole body just wake up. Him hand shake small as he balance phone well for ear.

She dey sob, “He carry people enter Kudu Banza. He say two days, he go come back.”

The sobbing choke everywhere, like when rain dey beat zinc roof. Even Baba Musa wife, wey dey sweep compound, pause, look am with worry.

Kudu Banza—the place wey dey inside all adventure novels, where dem dey talk about lost kingdoms and ancient spirits. But for real life, na true "Sea of Death" be that.

People dey yarn tory say ancient jinn dey waka for there, say sand dey swallow person like groundnut. Even hunter wey get strong juju dey fear that place.

For hot season, surface temperature fit reach 60 to 70°C. If you no get supplies, you fit survive only 36 hours.

Even goat no fit waka there that time. The sun dey melt bottle for dashboard. If you dey, na to pray say you go see another morning.

People like Malam Idris, Musa the Camel Man, even top explorers don die there.

All those names be legend. Na only their story remain, body no return. Elders for Maiduguri still dey use their gist teach stubborn children.

But the girl papa no be novice like that. The man na desert guide—him surname na Danladi.

He get respect for Gidan Daji side. Baba Musa remember how dem dey hail am for mosque: "Oga Danladi! Desert no dey fear you!" For town, people dey hail am for mosque, but some dey whisper say na only mouth e get.

July 22, 2023, Guide Danladi lead ten cars and 23 people enter Kudu Banza for adventure. Dem talk say dem go come back by July 24.

Baba Musa shake head. "Why dem no fear Kudu Banza? Na only spirit dey waka without plan."

But as dem no come back, and the girl call for help, dem don already pass the time by four days.

Four days for Kudu Banza? Even vulture no go wait for that kind body. The calculation dey ring for Baba Musa ear, like bell for Friday mosque.

Police and rescue people don already start to move.

The DPO for Maiduguri don send two Hilux, Civil Defence join. Local hunters volunteer, bring their dane guns. People dey gather like market day.

But Kudu Banza big pass three times Ibadan. To find some people for that kind place na like say you dey find needle for sand. Na luck you go need.

People dey pray, dey pour libation, dey call Mallam for dua. Some just shake head say, "Na only God hand dem dey."

Anybody wey join the search, na extra chance to survive.

Baba Musa no dey joke. Na people like him dey rescue, because na only dem fit read sand track, sabi desert mood. Ordinary town people go just add wahala.

But as Baba Musa dey check the background of the convoy, him mind just dey cut.

He scroll him small Nokia, ask old contacts. "Who be this Danladi? Who dey lead am?" Answer no dey satisfy am.

E come be like say Guide Danladi just dey do customer service, na other people dey guide the trips. If you ask about him real skill, nobody sabi answer.

E shock am. "Danladi na Oga for town, but who sabi him desert leg? Abi na just social media hype?"

Baba Musa heart just fall.

He rub him chest, mutter small prayer. "Allah ya kiyaye."

As he check their route, e pain am more.

He draw line for sand with stick, dey calculate from Kuka Gida to Gidan Daji. Him pikin wey dey help am, just dey look am with fear.

Dem enter Kudu Banza from Kuka Gida, dey go northeast, say na Gidan Daji Desert be their destination.

For Baba Musa mind, na dangerous path be that. E know the road wey dry bones dey greet strangers.

For Kudu Banza trips, some routes dey. One na just for show: you go round Damaturu, Potiskum, Gombe, Maiduguri—anybody fit do am, even bus and van.

Dem call am "Children road," na joke. Even Okada fit survive that place if sand no too dey.

One better route dey: Provincial Road 235, from Damaturu to Gombe, north to south. E still dey safe.

That one dey call "wise man path." E get checkpoint, but soldiers dey friendly if your paper correct.

But another route dey—na restricted zone, government no dey allow.

If you try am, you dey on your own. Even army go tell you, "No be our wahala."

Gidan Daji Desert get Yankari Wild Camel Reserve, tourists no dey enter. Near Tashan Bama and Garin Mallam, checkpoint full everywhere.

The place get story—say camel dey disappear, soldiers dey shoot warning, even hyena dey fear to cross at night.

But na this same forbidden route Guide Danladi team choose.

Na stubbornness full that waka. If dem ask elders, dem go say, "My pikin, abeg take sense." But dem no hear word.

To make am worse, dem start the waka for hottest time of the year.

For Hausa, dem go say, "Idan rana ta fito, ka huta." But this one na when sun dey craze. Not even Fulani cattle go waka that time.

Baba Musa no even waste time again. He carry him things, start the search sharp sharp.

He pack small millet bread, pour water inside calabash, wrap turban tight. "Mama, pray for me," he tell him wife. Neighbours gather for gate, dey salute am as he enter Hilux.

By noon, July 29, rescue team reach Kudu Banza edge. Sun dey burn people, temperature near 70°C, heat just dey dance for sand. The heat dey shimmer for sand, everywhere silent like when NEPA take light for whole street.

Nobody talk for motor. Even water for bottle dey hot like tea. Baba Musa hold prayer beads, dey mutter surah.

Baba Musa no even wan imagine how Guide Danladi go dey when dem find am.

He remember the girl cry, the way she beg. For him mind, if e no fit bring body home, at least he go give her closure.

But answer come fast.

Na so God quick answer prayer. But e no sweet for mouth.

1:11 p.m., just sixteen minutes after dem enter desert, Baba Musa team see something for far.

The sun glare no dey joke. But from distance, you fit see cloth dey flutter for stick, sand gather for one side. Baba Musa squint, call boys to stop.

From the clothes, e resemble Guide Danladi. As dem reach there, everywhere just quiet.

As dem waka reach, even birds pause. The only sound na sand dey shift for breeze.

The body no even be like body again—just outline remain. The thing don roast black, body don turn charcoal. Everybody fear.

One of the rescue boys, young man from Potiskum, just bend, vomit. Others cover nose, dey mutter “Allah ya ji kan su.”

Day before, rescue team find three other bodies for that area. Same thing—one woman, about thirty, the heat don dry her finish. The sight no be small thing.

Na so death dey humble person. Even Baba Musa wey don see plenty, e still use kola nut clean hand before e fit continue.

All four na from the same convoy.

Everybody dey count—so who remain? Which family go hear better news?

E clear say dem jam serious wahala.

No be ordinary sand waka. People dey look the ground, dey try read story for footprints.

But then, something strange show.

Na so rescue boy point, "Oga, see pickup for there!" Everybody waka go check.

No far from the bodies, dem see Innoson pickup truck—na their own. But the motor dey okay: fuel tank full, water and food dey inside, AC still dey work. Only wahala be say the motor stuck for sand.

Somebody open back, see bottled water and gala, even malt. E shock everybody. One of the boys even wipe seat, “Kai, this AC dey freeze o!”

For desert, motor dey stuck no be new thing. Any driver wey get sense go carry anti-skid board, shovel, and other tools.

Even Fulani herder know say sand get wahala. Baba Musa show small boy how to use shovel. “If you no dig, na sand go chop you.”

But nobody even try dig the motor. Yet, the driver waka commot—why now?

Na the puzzle wey pass everybody. Why person go leave shelter, inside that kain heat?

The bodies sef dey 8km (about 5 miles) from the motor.

If dem waka that distance for sun, na pure madness. Even camel go rest for shade.

Desert 101: If your motor spoil or stuck, no ever leave am. The motor na your best shelter—shade, water, and people fit see you quick.

Baba Musa remember how old man teach am for youth, “If wahala meet you for sand, hug your motor like wife.”

Na the number one rule for desert. So wetin make dem leave the motor waka?

Some dey suggest juju, say maybe sand spirit confuse their head. Others say maybe person dey sick, fear catch all of them.

E just no make sense.

People dey rub jaw, dey guess different things, but answer no dey ground.

When dem dey start, organizer dey shout: “The guide na professional, supplies full ground.” Dem even get supply motor.

All the people wey pay money go house dey ask, "So na this kain 'professional' we pay for?"

With all this "preparation," how four people still die?

Even okada man for junction dey ask same question. "Dem get everything, dem still lose. Na which kain jazz?"

To understand how e happen, we gas go back to how this "expedition team" start.

Old men dey say, "If you wan know where rain start beat you, check the first mistake."