By Mark Mayah
A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) high court has remanded Prof. Usman Yusuf, former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) at the Kuje Correctional Centre.
It was learned that Justice Chinyere Nwecheonwu pronounced the order of remand on Monday morning after Yusuf was arraigned for alleged fraud by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The court ruled that the former NHIS boss should be in prison till the next adjourned date, February 12, 2025.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had accused Prof. Usman Yusuf, of awarding a contract to his nephew, Khalifa Hassan Yusuf.
It would be recalled that Prof Yusuf was arrested by the operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) last Wednesday.
Sources told our correspondent that Yusuf was arrested by a large number of EFCC operatives who stormed his residence.
Yusuf, a former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme, faced trouble during President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration following a petition submitted to the Presidency and the Federal Ministry of Health.
Court documents obtained by newsmen showed that the former permanent secretary was arrested on charges of alleged misappropriation of public funds. He is facing four counts of charges.
He was also accused of engaging in fraudulent practices and displaying impunity during his tenure as Executive Secretary of NHIS.
The document partly reads, “That you, Prof. Usman Yusuf sometime between 2016 and July 2017 whilst being the 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 procurement of the purchase of a vehicle for yourself at the cost of N49.197,750, 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 corrupt practices and other related offences Act, 2000.”
The second charge 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 Honorable 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 N10.1 million Naira in favour of the GK Kanki Foundation for the purported training of 90 persons, which actual number of the participants were 45 persons and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 45 Public Procurement Act, 2007 and punishable under the same section 45 (2) and (3) of the same Act.”
Another count reads, “That you, Prof. Usman Yusuf sometime between 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 an undue advantage upon yourself and knowingly acquired a private interest in an entity known as Lubekh Nigeria Limited owned by your nephew, Khalifa Hassan Yusuf by awarding to 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 Corrupt Practices and other offences Act, 2000.”
