…Alleges ethnic favoritism
Former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Yusuf Usman, has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) of carrying out selective justice.
Usman, speaking in a recent interview, claimed there is bias in the arrest patterns of Nigeria’s anti-corruption agencies under President Bola Tinubu.
According to him, he has observed that the EFCC avoids arresting politicians from a certain ethnic group. “We have not seen a single Yoruba man grabbed by EFCC. (Aminu) Tambuwal, myself, (Abubakar) Malami, and (Nasir) el-Rufa’i are all Fulani, and have all been arrested; but Yorubas are saints. People are watching”, he said.
He also referenced individuals from different states and backgrounds in relation to public cases, noting that his comments were not based on the merits of those cases. “Egbira man from Kogi State, Yahaya Bello. We have seen (Chris) Ngige and (Godwin) Emefiele. We’re not talking about whatever they did”, he stated.
Usman further spoke about alleged geographical considerations in enforcement, suggesting that some areas appear less affected in his view. He added that such perceptions are being discussed in parts of the country.
The former NHIS boss also referred to the leadership of key agencies while explaining how people interpret developments. “You know what people are saying? The EFCC is headed by a Yoruba man, right?” he said. He made a similar reference to another security agency.
Usman further mentioned the leadership of the ICPC in relation to regional representation. “The ICPC is headed by somebody from the North-West, right? The DSS is headed by a Yoruba man”, he noted.
