Professor Usman Yusuf, former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), has accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of deploying the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to suppress dissent, claiming he was treated like a criminal to silence his criticism of the government. The allegations were made during an interview on Sunday, April 27, 2025.
Yusuf, who was arraigned by the EFCC in February 2025 on a five-count fraud charge before the Federal Capital Territory High Court, pleaded not guilty. He described his detention as a targeted effort to intimidate him, stating, “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.”
Recounting his arrest on January 29, 2025, Yusuf said EFCC operatives stormed his home without an arrest warrant, only showing their badges after entering. He alleged they prevented him from changing clothes and barred his wife from providing alternatives. During transport, he was treated “as if they had captured a notorious criminal like Kachalla Bello Turji,” a known bandit leader.
Yusuf spent six days in EFCC custody before his arraignment and was denied bail, which he called unconstitutional, noting that bail is a guaranteed right except in cases of capital offenses or terrorism. The denial led to an additional 24 days in Kuje Prison, which Yusuf described as a period of “rest, prayers, and reflection” that strengthened his resolve.
“The whole purpose was for the government of President Bola Tinubu to silence any form of dissent,” Yusuf said, accusing the administration of undermining democratic criticism to establish a “one-party dictatorial state.” He highlighted the irony, noting Tinubu’s past as a NADECO activist who opposed military dictatorship.
Yusuf, appointed NHIS boss in 2016 by former President Muhammadu Buhari, was suspended in 2017 and 2018 over corruption allegations and removed in 2019. He maintains that his recent ordeal is politically motivated to curb his outspokenness against the current administration.
