US Mission Closes Abuja Embassy, Lagos Consulate

The United States Embassy in Abuja and the Consulate General in Lagos will halt operations on Monday, May 26, in recognition of Memorial Day, a notable federal holiday in the United States.

In a statement disseminated through its official 𝕏 account, the US Mission in Nigeria declared the temporary closure, emphasising that Memorial Day is a time to honour American military personnel who sacrificed their lives in service to the country.

Naija News reports that this holiday is commemorated each year on the final Monday of May.

Characterised as a day of contemplation and national remembrance, Memorial Day in the United States is observed with solemn ceremonies, national flags, and tributes throughout the nation to honour fallen servicemen and women.

Consequently, all standard consular services at both the embassy and consulate will be unavailable for the day due to the holiday. Regular services are expected to resume on Tuesday, May 27.

The US Mission recommended that individuals needing urgent consular assistance visit its official website for emergency contact information.

In other news, the wife and sons of former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Prof Usman Yusuf, recently appealed to the United States Government for diplomatic intervention to secure his release from detention.

In a letter dated February 18, 2025, Iftikar Abdallah Yusuf, the wife of Prof Yusuf, addressed the American Embassy under the title: “Re: Request For Consular Assistance For My Husband, Professor Usman Yusuf.”

Similarly, the couple’s three sons, Abdullah, Adnan, and Luqman, wrote to Senator Richard J. Durbin of Chicago, Illinois, USA, seeking urgent intervention under the title: “Re: Request for the Immediate Release of Our Father, Prof Usman Yusuf.”

Naija News reports that Prof Yusuf is currently facing a five-count charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), accusing him of embezzlement and conferring undue advantage on himself during his tenure at NHIA between 2016 and 2019.

The EFCC alleges that he approved the purchase of a vehicle for ₦49,197,750, exceeding the budgeted ₦30 million.

On February 12, 2025, Justice Chinyere Nwecheonwu postponed the ruling on his bail application to February 27 and remanded him in Kuje Correctional Facility in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) pending the court’s decision.

Family’s Appeal for Consular Assistance
In her letter, Iftikar Abdallah Yusuf urged the US Embassy to intervene to secure her husband’s release and ensure his rights are respected.

She emphasised that their family holds dual citizenship in the United States and Nigeria and argued that her husband is being unlawfully detained and subjected to political persecution.

“My husband’s constitutionally guaranteed rights have been repeatedly violated by President Bola Tinubu’s government by being forcefully abducted from his home by heavily armed men of the EFCC without a formal invitation to appear before the commission and abducting him without an arrest warrant, denying him phone calls to his family and lawyers, denying him bail and incarceration in Kuje Prison,” she wrote.

She further expressed concern for his health, stating that he was not granted access to his doctors and warning that he might not receive a fair trial.

In a subsequent ruling, a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Abuja granted bail to Professor Usman Yusuf, the former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

Naija News reports that Yusuf is facing multiple corruption charges brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Justice Chinyere Nwecheonwu delivered the ruling on Thursday morning, though details of the bail conditions remain undisclosed.