Former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme, Professor Usman Yusuf, has accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of weaponising the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to silence him, alleging that he was treated like a criminal for criticising the government.
Speaking during an interview with Arise Television on Sunday, Yusuf claimed that his recent detention by the EFCC was a calculated attempt to suppress his voice. “This government deliberately denied me bail to shake me up… all to try and silence me. But I am not someone who can be silenced,” he said.
In February, Yusuf was arraigned by the EFCC before the Federal Capital Territory High Court on a five-count charge of alleged fraud. He, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Recounting the circumstances surrounding his detention, Yusuf explained that EFCC operatives stormed his residence on 29 January without presenting an arrest warrant. “They walked into the house and said they wanted to see me, claiming I was expecting them. They only later showed their badges,” he said.
He further described how the operatives denied him the opportunity to change his clothes and prevented his wife from bringing him alternative clothing. He also narrated how the officers treated him during transportation, saying they handled him “as if they had captured a notorious criminal like Kachalla Bello Turji,” a reference to the infamous bandit leader.
Yusuf spent six days in EFCC custody before being arraigned and subsequently denied bail, a decision he described as unconstitutional. “Bail is a constitutionally guaranteed right for any accused person, except in cases of capital offences or terrorism, and my case was neither,” he said.
Following his arraignment and denial of bail, Yusuf was remanded at Kuje Prison, where he spent an additional 24 days. Reflecting on the experience, he described it as a period of “retreat for rest, prayers, and reflection,” asserting that it only served to fortify his resolve.
He maintained that the actions against him were politically motivated and intended to suppress dissent against the current administration. “The whole purpose was for the government of President Bola Tinubu to try to silence any form of dissent,” Yusuf said. “This is coming from a president who himself was once a NADECO activist — someone who fought against the military dictatorship.”
Yusuf warned that the Tinubu administration was making moves to stifle democratic criticism and steer Nigeria towards a “one-party dictatorial state.”
Professor Usman Yusuf was appointed as the Executive Secretary of the NHIS in 2016 by former President Muhammadu Buhari. He was suspended first in 2017 and again in 2018 by the Minister of Health and the NHIS board over allegations of corruption. Ultimately, he was removed from office in 2019.
