The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned former National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) Executive Secretary, Usman Yusuf, on a five-count amended charge of alleged fraud. Yusuf appeared before Justice Chinyere Nwecheonwu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Kuje, Abuja, and pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The charges against Yusuf include using his office to confer undue advantages to himself between 2016 and 2017, and awarding contracts without following due procurement processes. Specifically, he's accused of sanctioning the purchase of a vehicle for N49,197,750 instead of the authorized N30,000,000, and awarding a contract worth N10.1 million to GK Kanki Foundation for training that only 45 people attended.
Yusuf's counsel, O.I Habeeb, requested that his client be remanded in EFCC custody pending the hearing of the bail application. However, Justice Nwecheonwu pointed out that once Yusuf was arraigned, he ceased to be in EFCC custody. The case was adjourned to February 12, 2025, and Yusuf was ordered to be remanded in the Kuje Correctional Centre, Abuja, pending the hearing of his bail application.
Yusuf's arrest and arraignment are the latest developments in an investigation that began with a petition in 2018 accusing him of fraudulent practices and misconduct during his tenure at NHIS.
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