EFCC arrests Usman Yusuf, ex-NHIS boss, over alleged fraud

Usman Yusuf, a former executive secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), has been arrested by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for alleged fraud.

Dele Oyewale, EFCC spokesperson, confirmed the arrest to TheCable.

Yusuf was arrested by EFCC operatives at his residence on Wednesday.

Oyewale said the former executive secretary will be arraigned today at Court 44, federal capital territory (FCT) high court, Kuje.

According to the court document seen by TheCable, the EFCC charged Yusuf with allegedly using his position at the time to confer undue advantage to himself by approving the purchase of a vehicle at the cost of N49,197,750, against the budgeted sum of N30,000,000.

The EFCC also accused Yusuf of retaining private interest in the corporate entity known as GK Kanki Foundation, and without due process, awarding a contract in the sum of N10.1m, in favour of the GK Kanki Foundation, for the purported training of 90 persons — when the actual number of trainees was 45.

“That you, Prof Usman Yusuf sometime between 2016 and 2017 whilst being the Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NIS) in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable 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: Zaramat Global Services Limited, and without due procurement processes, awarded a contract in the sum of N771,428.58 Naira, in favour of Zaramat Global Services Limited for a training programme on Risk Management and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 54 Public Procurement Act, 2007, and punishable under the Section 45 (2) and (3) of the same Act,” the document reads.

“That you, P.of 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 2 and punishable under the same Section of the Corrupt Practices and Other Offences Act, 2000.”

Usman was appointed executive secretary of the NHIS in 2016 by then President Muhammadu Buhari.

He was suspended by the health minister in 2017 and the board of the NHIS in 2018 over alleged corruption and other irregularities in the running of the scheme.

He was thereafter removed as NHIS executive secretary after embarking on an administrative leave in 2019.