By John Audu.
KADUNA, Nigeria – The arrest of former National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) Director, Yusuf Usman, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has drawn sharp criticism from the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) and prominent Islamic scholar Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, who allege the move is politically motivated.
The NEF, in a statement released by its spokesman Abubakar Jika Jiddere, condemned the arrest as “arbitrary” and claimed it was an attempt to silence critics of President Bola Tinubu’s administration. “The Northern Elders Forum received the news of the arbitrary arrest of Professor Usman Yusuf on Wednesday, January 29, 2025, around 4:30 p.m. at his residence in Abuja by operatives of the EFCC,” the statement read. “Professor Usman Yusuf is a distinguished personality with high-level credibility and unquestionable integrity.”
The NEF called for Usman’s immediate release, asserting that his detention is designed to suppress dissent and curtail democratic freedoms. “It is a deliberate plan to silence and intimidate the political opposition and to reverse many of the democratic rights won by Nigerians over the years in the fight against dictatorship and all forms of human oppression,” the forum added.
Sheikh Gumi echoed these sentiments, warning President Tinubu against allowing “political sycophants” to tarnish his reputation. “An arraignment of individuals on premises with an obvious smack of political vendetta is ill-advised at a time of national political uncertainty, economic crunch, and re-adjustments,” Gumi said.
Gumi vouched for Usman’s integrity, highlighting their nearly five-decade-long association. “I have known this gentleman for 49 years now, and all I can say about him is that he has been honest and an ardent advocate against injustice of whatever source or type since our university days in the ’70s,” he stated. “President Tinubu should not allow sycophants in his administration to spoil his goodwill.”
The EFCC has yet to publicly comment on the specific reasons for Usman’s arrest. The allegations of political motivation from the NEF and Gumi add a layer of complexity to the situation and are likely to fuel further debate.
