Professor Usman Yusuf, the former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), has been granted bail by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Abuja.
Yusuf is facing multiple corruption charges brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The ruling was delivered by Justice Chinyere Nwecheonwu on Thursday morning, though details of the bail conditions remain undisclosed.
Yusuf was arraigned on five counts of corruption, including embezzlement, abuse of office, and the unlawful award of contracts.
The EFCC accused him of approving the purchase of a vehicle at an inflated price of ₦49,197,750—far above the allocated ₦30,000,000. Additionally, he allegedly awarded a ₦10.1 million training contract to a foundation linked to him, despite only half of the intended beneficiaries participating. Another allegation involved awarding a ₦17.5 million media consultancy contract to his nephew’s company without following due process.
Following his arraignment, Yusuf was remanded in the Kuje correctional facility while awaiting the court’s decision on his bail application, which had been adjourned to February 27.
Despite the charges, Yusuf has dismissed the case as politically motivated.
In a statement from detention, he accused the government of using security agencies to silence him for his outspoken stance on national issues.
He pointed to a recent speech at a youth summit in Bauchi, where he criticized the Tinubu administration’s economic policies and alleged marginalization of Northern Nigeria.
Yusuf described his arrest as a “Gestapo-style” operation, claiming security operatives trailed him after the summit before taking him from his home without prior notice.
He further alleged that while in EFCC custody, he was denied access to legal representation and his family before being transferred to Kuje Prison. In detention, he was placed in the VIP section and encountered various inmates, including those facing terrorism-related charges.
Reflecting on prison conditions, he remarked, “The conditions of Kuje Prison reminded me of my boarding school days. The real criminals are in government, while our youth waste away in detention.”
Yusuf also accused the government of orchestrating his detention as part of a broader crackdown on dissent, arguing that the EFCC’s goal was to discredit and humiliate him.
The EFCC, however, dismissed his claims as an attempt to deflect attention from the charges. The agency maintained that the allegations against Yusuf were supported by evidence and insisted that his failure to meet the conditions of an earlier administrative bail demonstrated his lack of cooperation with investigators.
