The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested Professor Usman Yusuf, a former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and a prominent member of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF). His arrest followed a dramatic raid on his residence by a truckload of EFCC operatives on Wednesday.
According to sources who spoke with SaharaReporters, the anti-graft agency stormed Yusuf’s home in a well-coordinated operation, leading to his immediate apprehension. The reasons for his arrest trace back to a series of corruption allegations that plagued his tenure during President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
Professor Yusuf’s tenure at NHIS was marred by a litany of financial and administrative scandals, leading to his eventual suspension. A petition submitted to the Presidency and the Federal Ministry of Health detailed 12 damning allegations against him, including:
Misappropriation of N860 million earmarked for training in 2016.
Awarding contracts without due process, particularly for an e-library project.
Nepotism, by allegedly granting a media consultancy contract to his brother.
Financial recklessness, approving N210 million for electronic media operations outside due process.
Collusion with top officials to authorize contractor payments before goods were supplied.
Favoritism and injustice, by providing financial aid to an unqualified individual while denying assistance to an NHIS staff member who later died.
Inflating contract costs by over 100% and facilitating the supply of substandard products.
Undue political interference, by invoking President Buhari’s name to justify insubordination to the Minister of Health.
Despite multiple investigations, Yusuf remained defiant, often dismissing the allegations as politically motivated.
Beyond his corruption controversies, Yusuf has been a fierce critic of President Bola Tinubu’s administration. In a May 2024 interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, he lambasted Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, declaring that it had instead plunged Nigerians into deeper despair.
“People have lost hope. Renewed Hope has turned into hopelessness. The last one year has been nothing but deception, destitution, and despair,” he remarked.
He further accused the administration of worsening economic hardship, pushing millions into multidimensional poverty, and making education unaffordable for struggling parents.
Taking aim at Tinubu’s economic management team, Yusuf labeled them “tax collectors” rather than “economists,” asserting that their policies were suffocating economic growth.
“Taxation does not grow an economy; only production does,” he declared.
Efforts to reach EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale for comments were unsuccessful, as his phone remained switched off. The agency has yet to release an official statement on Yusuf’s arrest, leaving the public eager for further details.
His arrest raises fresh questions about the government’s stance on corruption and whether political criticism played a role in his dramatic detention. As the case unfolds, Nigerians will be watching closely to see whether the former NHIS boss faces prosecution or if this is just another high-profile arrest that fades into obscurity.
PIONEER NEWS 