An FCT High Court has ordered the remand of former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Usman Yusuf, in Kuje prison after he pleaded not guilty to five-count amended charge, bordering on alleged fraud levelled against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The EFCC had in the five-count charge accused the former NHIS Executive Secretary of using his office to confer undue advantages to himself between 2016 and 2017.
Usman was arraigned before Justice Chinyere Nwecheonwu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Kuje, Abuja on Monday.
Following his guilty plea, counsel to the defendant, O.I Habeeb, begged the court to remind his client in the custody of the EFCC pending the hearing of the bail application.
However, the trial judge, Justice Chinyere Nwecheonwu, said since he has been arraigned, Yusuf can no longer be allowed to go back to the custody of the EFCC.
The Judge subsequently ordered that Yusuf should be remanded in the Kuje Correctional Centre, Abuja, pending the hearing of his bail application.
She adjourned the hearing of the case to February 12, 2025,
EFCC had accused the former NHIS Executive Secretary of using his office to confer undue advantages to himself between 2016 and 2017.
Yusuf, according to EFCC, also awarded contracts without following the due procurement process when he was at the helms in NHIS.
