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The family of Prof Usman Yusuf, former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), has written to the United States government, seeking diplomatic intervention for his swift release from detention in Nigeria....READ THE FULL CONTENT FROM THE SOURCE | READ THE FULL CONTENT FROM THE SOURCE
In a letter dated February 18, 2025, Prof Yusuf’s wife, Iftikar Abdallah Yusuf, formally petitioned the American Embassy, requesting urgent consular assistance.
Titled “Re: Request For Consular Assistance For My Husband Professor Usman Yusuf,” the letter alleges that her husband is being unlawfully detained and politically persecuted.
Simultaneously, the couple’s three sons—Abdullah, Adnan, and Luqman—sent a separate appeal to U.S. Senator Richard J. Durbin of Illinois, urging him to intervene. Their letter, titled “Re: Request for the Immediate Release of Our Father, Prof Usman Yusuf,” echoes concerns over their father’s health and fair trial rights.
Prof Yusuf is currently facing a five-count charge by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), including allegations of embezzlement and abuse of office during his tenure at NHIA from 2016 to 2019. He has pleaded not guilty.
On February 12, Justice Chinyere Nwecheonwu adjourned his bail ruling to February 27 and ordered his remand at Kuje Correctional Facility in Abuja.
In her letter, Iftikar Yusuf claimed her husband was forcefully taken from their home by heavily armed EFCC operatives without an arrest warrant or prior summons.
She accused the Tinubu administration of violating his constitutional rights, denying him access to legal counsel, and withholding medical care.
“My husband’s abduction and detention by the EFCC, denial of bail, and incarceration in Kuje Prison are nothing but political persecution because he has been a very vocal critic of President Tinubu’s economic policies that have been inflicting unbearable hardships on Nigerians,” she wrote.
The children echoed these concerns, insisting their father is being targeted for his outspoken views. They emphasized fears for his well-being, citing the EFCC’s alleged refusal to grant him access to his doctors.
As the legal battle continues, the family’s appeal for U.S. diplomatic intervention adds an international dimension to the high-profile case...CONTINUE THE FULL READING HERE:
