Former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Yusuf Usman, has alleged bias in the pattern of arrests by Nigeria’s anti-corruption agencies under President Bola Tinubu.

Usman made the remarks in a recent interview with Symfoni’s Naija Unfiltered, where he spoke about perceived trends in the operations of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

He stated that he had not observed arrests involving individuals from a particular ethnic group by the EFCC, while mentioning others he said had been affected.

“We have not seen a single Yoruba man grabbed by EFCC. (Aminu) Tambuwal, myself, (Abubakar) Malami, and (Nasir) El-Rufai are All Fulanis 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 said.

Usman further spoke about alleged geographical considerations in enforcement, suggesting that some areas appear less affected in his view.

“Geographically, that’s not… You’re not far from clean. No, they’re saints. They’re safe,” he said.

He added that such perceptions are being discussed in parts of the country.

“That’s how all Yorubas are saints,” he said.

The former NHIS boss also referred to 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, saying, “The DSS is headed by a Yoruba man, correct?”

Usman further mentioned the leadership of the ICPC in relation to regional representation.

“The ICPC is headed by somebody from the Northwest, right?” he said.

He concluded with a comment on how certain actions are perceived in relation to ethnicity.

“So they brought El-Rufai to the ICPC so that they could take care of him,” he said. “We don’t want to, so that they don’t say he’s Yoruba. We’re watching.”

Meanwhile, former Kaduna State governor El‑Rufai remains embroiled in ongoing legal proceedings with Nigeria’s anti‑graft agencies.

He was taken into custody after responding to a February 2026 invitation from the EFCC. Although granted bail by the EFCC, he was subsequently re-arrested and transferred to the custody of the ICPC.

The ICPC has since filed multiple charges against El‑Rufai, including alleged conversion and possession of public property, money laundering, abuse of office, fraud, and conferring undue advantage.

Similarly, former Sokoto State governor Tambuwal was detained by the EFCC in August 2025 over alleged financial irregularities involving large cash withdrawals during his tenure.

After questioning, Tambuwal was granted administrative bail and released from custody