Justice Chinyere Nwecheonwu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Kuje, on Thursday adjourned the arraignment of former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Prof. Usman Yusuf, to February 3.
Yusuf was taken into custody by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday for alleged contract fraud and other charges.
He was expected to appear in court on Thursday but the judge deferred the case to allow for amendments to the charges.
During the brief court session, Yusuf’s defense counsel, Isah Dokto Haruna, who stood in for lead counsel O.I. Habeeb (SAN), sought bail for the former NHIS boss.
However, Justice Nwecheonwu rejected the request on the ground that bail could not be considered before a formal arraignment.
“In the absence of a formal arraignment, bail at this stage is premature,” the judge ruled, directing that Yusuf should remain in EFCC custody till his next court appearance.
The EFCC had alleged that
Yusuf awarded contracts to family members during his tenure as NHIS boss
The commission also accused the defendant of inflating the scheme’s ICT budget from N4.975 billion to N8.7 billion, and approved expenditures beyond his authorization limit.