An Abuja High Court has postponed its ruling on the bail application of Prof. Usman Yusuf, the former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), who is facing corruption charges.
During Wednesday’s proceedings, Justice Chinyere Nwecheonwu ordered Yusuf to be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Facility in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) until February 27, when the court will decide on his bail request.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has filed five charges against Yusuf, accusing him of financial mismanagement during his tenure at NHIA in 2016.
One of the charges alleges that he approved the purchase of a vehicle for ₦49.2 million, exceeding the allocated budget of ₦30 million.
The EFCC also claims that he unlawfully awarded a ₦10.1 million contract to GK Kanki Foundation for the training of 90 individuals, while only 45 people were actually trained. Additionally, Yusuf is accused of awarding a ₦17.5 million media consultancy contract to Lubekh Nigeria Limited, a company allegedly linked to his nephew, Khalifa Hassan Yusuf.
Yusuf has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
During the hearing, EFCC prosecutor Francis Usani opposed the bail application, arguing that the defendant had previously failed to comply with an administrative bail condition that required him to report to the EFCC office twice a week.
Usani further claimed that Yusuf had boasted about his political connections and posed a flight risk.
“It took significant surveillance and intelligence efforts to locate and bring the defendant to court,” Usani told the judge.
However, Yusuf’s counsel, O.I. Habeeb (SAN), urged the court to grant bail, stressing that the charges against his client were bailable offences.
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