The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday arrested former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Usman Yusuf, and arrested him for alleged N4 billion fraud, amongst others.
According to PREMIUM TIMES exclusively gathered that EFCC operatives arrested the professor of haematology-oncology and bone marrow transplantation in his house at about 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
The arrest followed an ongoing investigation into an allegation that he inflated ICT budget from N4.975 billion to N8.7 billion and approved payments beyond his approval limit.
Sources familiar with the development told our correspondent that Mr Yusuf is currently being held and grilled in EFCC custody.
Similarly, a 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.
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“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.
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