Professor Usman Yusuf, former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), has accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration of orchestrating his recent arrest and detention as a means to silence him.
Yusuf, a renowned Professor of Haematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation, has been an outspoken critic of the government’s policies, particularly Nigeria’s recent diplomatic engagements with France.
His ordeal reportedly began after a viral interview in which he criticized the government. Subsequently, officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arrested him and charged him with five counts of alleged embezzlement and abuse of office during his tenure at NHIA in 2016. He pleaded not guilty to all charges.
On Wednesday, an FCT High Court postponed the ruling on his bail application, ordering his remand at the Nigerian Correctional Service facility in Kuje until February 27. In response, Yusuf released a detailed account of his experience, describing his arrest as a politically motivated attempt to intimidate him into silence.
A Nighttime Arrest Without Warrant
Yusuf recounted that on January 29, 2025, at around 6:30 PM, two EFCC operatives in black suits arrived at his residence without a formal invitation or an arrest warrant. Despite his protests, they refused to allow him to change clothes or inform his family. He described how five armed policemen surrounded his house, and after an argument, one of the operatives forcefully seized his phone and bundled him into a waiting vehicle.
“Their intent was clear—to intimidate my family and humiliate me,” Yusuf stated. He alleged that his phone was confiscated to prevent him from contacting legal representation or informing his family of his whereabouts.
EFCC Detention: Humiliation and Isolation
Upon arriving at the EFCC headquarters, Yusuf was handed a set of documents outlining his charges and asked to sign them without prior explanation. He was denied access to his family, lawyers, and even a phone call. He described the conditions in detention, sharing a cramped cell with three other detainees and enduring a night of uncertainty without communication with his loved ones.
“I was given a thin mattress on a bare floor, but the kindness of fellow detainees provided me with some comfort,” he recalled.
Court Proceedings and Transfer to Kuje Prison
Yusuf appeared in court on February 3, 2025, only for his arraignment to be postponed due to the unpreparedness of EFCC lawyers. This extended his detention for an additional four days. Upon his second court appearance, the judge ordered his transfer to Kuje Prison, where he remained for nine days.
Despite the prison’s notorious reputation, Yusuf praised the professionalism of the Nigerian Correctional Service staff and described the facility as orderly, though overcrowded. He interacted with inmates, many of whom had been awaiting trial for over a decade.
“Kuje was an education I would never have received elsewhere. I met young men accused of various crimes—Boko Haram, banditry, IPOB membership, and robbery. Their suffering is real, and many have been forgotten by the system,” he lamented.
Defiance Against Suppression
Yusuf remains defiant, insisting that his persecution is politically driven.
“I have full confidence in my legal team to fight these baseless charges. I will not be silenced by Tinubu’s autocratic regime that seeks to suppress all legitimate opposition,” he declared.
He urged Nigerians to resist what he described as a return to the “dark days of military rule,” calling on human rights organizations to take note of the increasing suppression of dissenting voices.
His legal team is set to continue the fight, with his bail hearing scheduled for February 27.
