Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has reacted to the arrest of Prof. Usman Yusuf, the former Executive Secretary of the renamed National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), which now National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), describing it as politically-motivated.
LEADERSHIP reports that Prof. Usman Yusuf was arrested on Wednesday following a raid on his residence by EFCC operatives. His legal ordeals date back to 2019, when a petition was submitted to the Federal Ministry of Health and the presidency under former President Muhammadu Buhari, alleging misconduct and fraudulent practices by him while calling the shots at the defunct NHIS, which is now known as NHIA.
He was abruptly arraigned the next day on Thursday before the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Kuchiako, Kuje. However, the trial judge deferred the arraignment to February 3, 2025.
Justice Chinyere E. Nwecheonwu rescheduled the hearing on Thursday after the EFCC sought time to amend the charges against the former NHIA boss.
But, reacting to the development on Friday via his verified social media handles, the former Vice President and leading opposition figure in the country accused President Bola Tinubu of weaponising abandoned investigations on alleged corruption cases in order to suppress the opposition.
He claimed that the Tinubu government is riddled with individuals who themselves are embroiled in corruption and investigations by both local and international authorities but the government has continued to use the machinery of the state to silence its critics.
Atiku wrote: “Two days ago, the nation was jolted by the arrest of Professor Usman Yusuf, a fierce and unyielding social critic.
“Though the charges against him have been festering since the previous administration, it is impossible to ignore the strong likelihood that his detention is politically motivated.
“The Tinubu government, despite being riddled with individuals who themselves are embroiled in scandals and investigations by both local and international authorities, continues to use the very machinery of the state to silence its critics. It weaponizes these pending investigations to suppress all opposition.
“It is absurd that while the administration shelters those under investigation, it continues to exploit state institutions to stifle dissent, all under the false pretence of combating corruption.
“Even to the most inattentive, it has become glaringly clear that Tinubu is not waging a war on corruption — he is waging a war on the opposition, manipulating the system for his own political advantage.”
