By CrossRiverWatch Admin
An electrician and native of Usumutong in Abi Local Government Area of Cross River State, Ernest Ebina who revealed exclusively to CrossRiverWatch his near death experience ten years ago with the Ambassador of Nigeria to Italy, retired Commodore Yusuf Jonga Hinna.
Ebina allegedly accused the Ambassador orchestrating his boys to kill him after thoroughly beaten him for weeks, thrown off a three storey building which had left him with a broken back bone, swollen stomach with a failing system that made him urinate only with the aid of a catheter, has cried out that he is being trailed by suspected men of the said retired Commodore.
Mr. Ebina who in an exclusive interview with CrossRiverWatch, revealed that since then he has not been able to be on his feet, he has being monitored everywhere he goes by unknown men suspected to be boys of the Ambassador retired Commodore Yusuf Jonga Hinna which he disclosed that he recognized the face of one.
Recounting, he said, “I was moving along Eta-Agbo, when the guy passed me with Camry (brown colour). He went and turn and met me standing with someone discussing, he followed me and as I crossed to the other side of Eta-Agbo while I moved towards AKTC. As I branched, he began to ransack everywhere but where I sat he couldn’t see me but I was seeing all his actions until I left the place. It was few minutes to 12noon on Saturday (22nd March 2020).”
He further disclosed that earlier in the month of February this year, on two occasions, the two suspected boys of the Commodore trailed him to his church (name of church withheld).
“It is the fair guy that used the Camry that I recall among those that tortured and left me for death, the other guy drove a Toyota Pathfinder (light blue colour) and he’s a Muslim because he has the mark on his forehead. When they came to my church they sat some distance behind me, were discussing and pointed at me.
“That was one Thursday of February, 2020 at Thursday evening service we usually hold, it starts by 5:PM and sometimes close by 8:30 PM or 9: PM.
“It was around 6PM when they entered I had already sat where I normally sit because church starts programme after one another. So he and the other person as they were discussing, my eyes went straight to them and he pointed at me because he was one of the boys that beat me up and threw me down (from three storey building) and left for dead. As they talked and pointed at me, I looked at them, the way he shook his head I had to pretend as if I have left the church and stood by the window to observe how they were ransacking everywhere. As I came in again I sat down and as the church dismissed, I packed my loads into bag and hid them under the chair. As I stood out side, he searched and searched; he came out side and went inside back, he came out again, stood by the gate. I waited for everyone to leave and I left last after I was sure they had gone.
“There was a day I was going to work, as I just pass, he used his vehicle to trail me along Edim Otop Crescent so I entered to a point where he could not see me. So, he just stood by the road and was just flashing his car light directly to the place I was but could not see me. He later left. So the following day, as I was passing I saw where he parked his car; you know when something wants to happen to you, you will experience body shock? So the shock I had I just said, this is the car and I flashed back he was the one that trailed me at Edim Otop Crescent when I was going to work. So he positioned the vehicle in a way to as, in case I pass, he would grap me but what I did was, as I wore long garment like an Hausa brother, I moved so fast so that his mind will not even dictate if I’m the one.”
Ebina had recounted his ordeal in 2010 to in an exclusive interview said that the retired Commodore Yusuf Jonga Hinna had travelled one certain week and upon returning said his 6.8 million naira was missing and his wife whom he (Ebina) had not been in good terms with invited some native doctors who falsely accused him unknown to them that he could speak Hausa and had heard most of their conversations informed him that “the Commodore’s wife had instructed them to say I was the one that took the money”.
According to Ebina, he was also taken alongside other stewards to another herbalist in Makurdi, Benue State after Yusuf’s wife had earlier gone there and stayed for five days and was accused upon arrival, said that “Immediately I was taken home, they started beating me again. The oga’s (retired Commodore) son was the first to slap me and then other Navy boys followed, using several instrument ranging from gun to hammer, any weapon they could lay their hands on. I was handcuffed to my back while they did so, blood started coming out of my body including my nose and ear. My trouser and shirt were doubled, a black bag was hung on my neck and I was soaked in water.
“I was taken back again to my oga who asked me of his money, I reminded him of the time he left his house with me at Jaji and he came back and met everything intact, I also reminded him of the time I was given 2.5 million to keep for him while he was away and when he returned I handed over the money to him that if I wanted stealing from him I would have ran away with the money, he said that I was telling stories. I told him to do whatever he felt like doing with me that I didn’t take his money and that God would keep me alive but it wouldn’t be well for him and his family.
“But if I took the money I would be killed and my family wouldn’t even see my corpse. He ordered them to take me away, they did and started beating me again and threw me down from a three storey building. I became unconscious and woke up after two weeks and found myself in the hospital.
“I was chained and tied like a goat into a sack and mercilessly beaten with all kinds of cudgels, weapons, wires and suspended in the air for a week. I was manhandled and given degrading treatment before made to face the fire of the men and officers of the Nigerian Navy.”
Ebina further stated that “This horrendous and painful process of torture was initiated by retired Commodore Yusuf Jonga Hinna who used his official boots to trample upon me, while his orderly used his rifle to panel beat me and the retired Commodore further ordered that razor blade be used to slice the skin of my thigh and salt and pepper added before lighting a candle to roast my thigh, the marks are still visible. I was thrown down from a three (3) storey building and left for death by the Commodore and his lackeys. Today I pass urine through tubes due to the mercies of God.”
He added that he was tied to a bag and soaked in a pool for hours “to make sure that when I will be shot no blood will spill” but that the Officer commanded to kill him abandoned him in the forest where a good samaritan saw him and took him to the hospital.
It took three years to find Ambassador Yusuf Jonga Hinna whereabouts.
Ambassador Yusuf Jonga Hinna assumed duty as Nigeria’s Ambassador to the Italian Republic on 30th October 2017.
Prior to his present appointment, he had served in the Armed Forces of Nigeria for 34 years and 8 months, during which he held several training and command appointments. He has also served in Peace Keeping operations: these are Operations Liberty (ECOMOG) in Liberia and Sierra Leone, and the United Nations Verification Mission in Angola (UNAVEM III).
As at the time of filing this report, a mail was sent to the Ambassador’s office and a reply is yet to gotten.
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