The Federal Capital Territory High Court in Kuje has postponed the arraignment of former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Prof. Usman Yusuf. The court rescheduled the hearing to Monday, February 3, 2025, delaying the proceedings initially set for Thursday, January 30.
Yusuf, who was taken into custody by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday, January 29, 2025, appeared before Justice Chinyere E. Nwecheonwu for arraignment on fraud-related charges. However, the court decided to adjourn the case to allow for modifications to the charges against him.
An official statement from the EFCC on Thursday confirmed the adjournment.
During the brief court session, Yusuf’s defense lawyer, Isah Dokto Haruna, who stood in for lead counsel O.I. Habeeb, SAN, requested bail for his client. However, Justice Nwecheonwu denied the request, stating, “In the absence of a formal arraignment, bail at this stage is premature.”
As a result, the judge ruled that Yusuf would remain in EFCC custody until his next court appearance. The case is now set to proceed on February 3, when the former NHIS chief is expected to be formally charged.
Earlier reports indicated that the EFCC arrested Yusuf over allegations of contract fraud during his tenure at NHIS. He was accused of awarding contracts to relatives and inflating the scheme’s ICT budget from N4.975 billion to N8.7 billion. Additionally, he allegedly approved payments exceeding his authorized limit.
