By Nkechi Eze
Professor Usman Yusuf, the former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), has been arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday, February 3, 2025, before Justice Chinyere E. Nwecheonwu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Kuje.
According to a statement made available to newsmen by the commission’s spokesperson Dele Oyewale, Usman was arraigned on a five count-charge bordering on embezzlement, conferring undue advantage, and fraud to the tune of N90, 439,178.00( Ninety Million, Four Hundred and Thirty Nine Thousand, One Hundred and Seventy Eight Naira only)
Count one reads:
“That you, Prof Ismab Yusuf sometime between 2016 and July 2017, whilst being Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, and being a public officer in the services of National Health Insurance Scheme used your position to confer unfair advantage to yourself when you approved the purchase of a vehicle for yourself at the cost of N49.197,75, against the appropriated budget sum of N30, 000,000,.00 and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22 and punishable under the same Section of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Act, 2000.”
Count two reads:
“That you, Prof Usman Yusuf sometime between 2016 and 2017 whilst being the Executive Secretary of National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, and being a public officer in the services of National Health Insurance Scheme, knowingly held a private interest in the corporate entity known as GK Kanki Foundation, and without due process, awarded a contract in the sum of Ten Million, One hundred Naira only (N10, 100,000.00), in favor of the GK Kanki Foundation, for the purported training of 90 person, which actual number of participants trained were 45 persons and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22 and punishable under the same section of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Act, 2000.”
Count four reads:
“That you, Prof Usman Yusuf sometime in 2016 and 2017 whilst being the Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme, (NHIS) in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, used your position to confer undue advantage upon yourself and knowingly acquired a private interest in an entity known as Lubekh Nigeria Limited owned by your nephew, Khalifa Hassn Yusuf, by awarding him a contract for media and special public relations consultancy in the sum of N17,500,000.00 and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22 and punishable under the same Section of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Act, 2000.”
He pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to him.
In view of the defendant’s plea, prosecution counsel Francis Usani prayed the court for a trial date . Defence counsel O.I Habeeb, SAN, did not oppose Usani’s application for trial date, he, however, prayed the court to remand the defendant in the custody of the EFCC.
In her ruling, Justice Nwecheonwu adjourned the matter to February 12, 2025 for hearing on the bail and remanded the defendant in Kuje Correctional Facility.
