Professor Usman Yusuf, the former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), has been arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on allegations of financial misconduct during his tenure. Yusuf, a prominent critic of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, contends that his arrest is a deliberate attempt to suppress dissenting voices.
On January 29, 2025, EFCC operatives apprehended Prof. Yusuf at his Abuja residence. He faces a five-count charge, including allegations of embezzlement and awarding contracts to companies linked to his relatives. Specifically, he is accused of inflating the NHIA’s Information and Communication Technology budget from ₦4.975 billion to ₦8.7 billion and approving payments beyond his authorized limit. One such contract was allegedly awarded to Lubekh Nigeria Limited, a company where his nephew, Khalifa Hassan Yusufu, serves as a director.
Upon his arraignment, Prof. Yusuf pleaded not guilty to all charges. The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, presided over by Justice Chinyere Nwecheonwu, ordered his remand at the Nigerian Correctional Service facility in Kuje, Abuja, pending a bail hearing scheduled for February 27, 2025.
In a detailed statement from detention, Prof. Yusuf described his arrest as a “ploy by the President to silence” him. He asserted that the government’s actions are reminiscent of “the dark days of military rule in Nigeria” and emphasized his commitment to continue speaking out against what he perceives as “dictatorial and autocratic leadership.”
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He recounted the circumstances of his arrest, stating that EFCC operatives arrived at his home without prior notice or an arrest warrant. “I asked for an arrest warrant, and they told me that they did not need one,” he said. He also alleged that his family has been under surveillance since he began publicly criticizing President Tinubu’s policies. “The security agents have been physically and electronically tracking my family and I on the orders of this government,” Yusuf claimed.
The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) and the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) have condemned Prof. Yusuf’s arrest, describing it as a politically motivated attempt to suppress opposition voices. NEF spokesperson, Prof. Abubakar Jika Jiddere, stated, “It is a deliberate plan to silence and intimidate the political opposition and to reverse many of the democratic rights won by Nigerians over the years.” Similarly, CNG’s National Coordinator, Comrade Jamilu Aliyu Charanchi, emphasized that while the EFCC has the mandate to investigate, it should not be used as a tool for political suppression. “We cannot afford to regress into an era where dissent is criminalized and opposition voices are forcefully silenced,” Charanchi remarked.
The EFCC has maintained that Prof. Yusuf’s arrest is based on credible allegations of financial misconduct. A source within the commission stated, “The investigation into these allegations was initiated by a petition dated 31 October 2018, alleging fraudulent practices and impunity perpetrated by Professor Usman Yusuf during his tenure as Executive Secretary of NHIA.”