12th February, 2025
A former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Professor Usman Yusuf, will learn his fate on February 27, 2025, as Justice Chinyere E. Nwecheonwu of the FCT High Court, Kuje, Abuja, adjourned ruling on his bail application in a case involving a staggering N90.4 million fraud.
Yusuf, who is facing five counts of embezzlement, undue advantage, and fraud, remains in detention at Kuje Correctional Centre after the prosecution opposed his bail request, citing the gravity of the allegations and the risk of him absconding.
Prosecution counsel Francis Usani argued that the ex-NHIS boss defied administrative bail conditions, failed to report bi-weekly during investigations, and even boasted about his political connections, claiming the case would be buried.
The prosecution further alleged that Yusuf could tamper with key witnesses from the NHIS, warning that the evidence against him is overwhelming and could lead to conviction.
However, Yusuf’s defence counsel, O. I. Habeeb, SAN, maintained that the charges are bailable offences, insisting his client has met all conditions for a liberal bail grant.
With the stakes high and both sides locked in a legal showdown, all eyes will be on February 27, when the court delivers its crucial ruling.
