Northern Elders Forum Condemns Arrest of Professor Usman Yusuf, Calls for His Immediate Release
The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has strongly condemned the arrest of Professor Usman Yusuf by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) at his Abuja residence on Wednesday, January 29, 2025.
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The arrest, which took place around 4:30 p.m., has been described by the forum as an attempt to stifle opposition and suppress democratic voices.
Source: Twitter
Professor Usman Yusuf, a renowned Professor of Hematology-Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplant, was arraigned before the Federal High Court in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Thursday, January 30, 2025.
The case, presided over by Justice Chinyere E. Nwecheonwu, was subsequently rescheduled for February 3, 2025.
Reacting to the development, the NEF decried the arrest as politically motivated. In a statement signed by its spokesperson, Professor Abubakar Jika Jiddere, the forum called for Yusuf’s immediate release, asserting that the move was aimed at silencing critics of the current administration.
“The Northern Elders Forum received the news of the arbitrary arrest of Professor Usman Yusuf with great concern. Professor Yusuf is a distinguished personality with unquestionable integrity and credibility. His arrest is purely politically motivated, intended to suppress and oppress democratic voices that challenge the poor public policies and bad governance imposed on the people by this administration,” the statement read.
The forum further alleged that Yusuf’s detention was part of a broader plan to intimidate political opposition and roll back democratic rights in Nigeria.
“This is a deliberate attempt to silence opposition voices and reverse the democratic rights Nigerians have fought tirelessly to secure over the years. We will not stand by and watch dictatorship creep back into our polity under the guise of law enforcement,” Jiddere added.
The NEF has demanded the immediate and unconditional release of Professor Yusuf and urged the government to uphold democratic principles by allowing dissenting voices to thrive without fear of persecution.
As of the time of reporting, the EFCC has yet to release an official statement regarding the arrest and arraignment of Professor Yusuf. The case is set to resume on February 3, 2025, where further legal proceedings are expected to unfold.
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Source: Legit.ng
