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An Abuja High Court on Thursday granted the first defendant, Mike Ozekhome, permission to travel to the United Kingdom for medical treatment for six weeks.

Ozekhome and his co-defendant, Ponfa Useni, were arraigned on February 27 by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) on a 12-count charge bordering on forgery and impersonation arising from a disputed property ownership case in the United Kingdom.

Ruling on Ozekhome’s application for the temporary release of his international passport, Justice Chizoba Oji ordered him to return the passport to the court on or before August 26.

The judge had earlier been informed on Tuesday that the prosecution had failed to deposit the defendants’ passports with the court, contrary to the bail conditions granted in February. Consequently, the court directed the prosecution to produce the passports during Thursday’s proceedings.

In compliance with the order, the prosecution presented the international passports of both defendants.

After Ozekhome confirmed ownership of the passport, Justice Oji asked the prosecution counsel, C.L. Asonta, whether there was any objection to its temporary release.

Although Asonta raised no objection, he requested that Ozekhome be directed to return the passport within three working days of his return to Nigeria.

Granting the application, the judge said: “Having considered the motion and noting that there is no objection, I hereby grant the request for the temporary release of the first defendant’s international passport to enable him to embark on his medical trip.”

Justice Oji ruled that the six-week period would run from July 9 to August 20 and ordered Ozekhome to return the passport to the court on or before August 26.

The court subsequently adjourned the trial until September 28 for continuation.

Ponfa Useni, the second defendant, is the son of the late Lt.-Gen. Jeremiah Useni, who served as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) during the military administration of the late Gen. Sani Abacha.

According to the prosecution, the defendants conspired in 2020 to procure a false Nigerian international passport, No. A07535463, in the name of Tali Shani.Geographic Reference

The prosecution further alleged that Ozekhome assisted Useni in impersonating Tali Shani and that both defendants also created a forged irrevocable power of attorney to facilitate Ozekhome’s claim to the disputed property in the United Kingdom.

The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

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The Federal Government’s revised vehicle import levy regime has officially come into effect, raising expectations of possible reductions in automobile prices.

However, auto dealers seek clarification on the newly introduced Green Tax before determining the overall impact of the policy.

Implemented under the 2026 Fiscal Policy Measures, the new arrangement reduces the import levy on brand-new vehicles from 20 per cent to 10 per cent, while the levy on used vehicles has been slashed from 15 per cent to five per cent.

The policy is intended to lower import costs, stimulate economic activities and provide relief for businesses and consumers in the automotive sector.

In addition to the levy cuts, the government introduced a Green Tax surcharge on selected categories of imported vehicles as part of its environmental sustainability agenda.

However, stakeholders in the automobile industry say uncertainty surrounding the exact structure and cost implications of the Green Tax makes it difficult to determine whether consumers will eventually benefit from lower vehicle prices.

Speaking in an interview with Vanguard, President of the National Association of Motor Dealers and Chief Executive Officer of Mitchel Automobile Limited, Prince Ajibola, described the levy reduction as a welcome development but stressed that the full impact would depend on the magnitude of the Green Tax.

“We don’t know what the surcharge is going to be. If they reduce the levy on vehicles and then introduce another surcharge, we need to know how much it is before we can say there will be any considerable change,” he stated.

Ajibola noted that although the reduction in levy on used vehicles from 15 per cent to five per cent represents a major concession, the benefit could be neutralised if the Green Tax is substantial.

“If the surcharge is far less than what has been reduced, then it’s a plus. But if it is the same or even higher, then it has not really changed anything,” he explained.

According to him, import duties remain one of the major reasons behind the high cost of vehicles in Nigeria, alongside foreign exchange pressures.

He added that the revised policy could help reduce vehicle prices, especially for commercial vehicles where the tariff adjustment is more significant, provided the Green Tax remains relatively low.

“The development is a very good one. There’s no doubt about that. But to know exactly how it will affect prices, we need to know what the Green Tax is. If it is very little, then the reduction in levies will still be significant and consumers will feel the impact,” Ajibola said.

Industry stakeholders said they would continue monitoring the implementation of the fiscal measures as the Nigeria Customs Service rolls out the revised tariff structure.

They noted that clearer details on the Green Tax would ultimately determine whether the reduction in import levies leads to meaningful price relief for vehicle buyers across the country.

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A senior consultant physician based in Kano State died after collapsing barely 15 minutes after arriving at a hospital to attend to patients who had been waiting several hours for his evening clinic.

The incident occurred last Saturday at Arewa Surgery Hospital, Hotoro, Kano, where the doctor reportedly responded to a request to replace another consultant who was unavailable for scheduled appointments.

The account was made public by Suleiman Harbo, an aide to the Jigawa State Governor, who said he was among the patients’ relatives present when the tragedy unfolded.

Harbo explained that he had taken his elderly mother to the hospital at about 5 p.m. for an appointment with a consultant physician.

On arrival, hospital staff informed them that the doctor originally scheduled to attend to them would not be available and recommended the deceased simply identified as Dr. Ibrahim.

According to him, about six patients, most of them above 80 years old, waited for the physician, prompting him to contact the hospital reception to enquire about the delay.

He said the receptionist reached the doctor by telephone and informed him that elderly patients, including his mother, were waiting.

Dr. Ibrahim reportedly assured them he would come after observing the Maghrib prayer.

Harbo said the consultant arrived shortly afterwards but suddenly became dizzy immediately after stepping out of his vehicle.

He said fellow medical personnel rushed the physician to the hospital’s emergency unit, where doctors battled to revive him.

“Within 15 minutes, he was confirmed dead,” Harbo wrote, describing the incident as shocking and deeply painful.

He added that the development left both patients and medical personnel devastated.

“The painful irony was this: all the patients waiting to see him were above 80 years of age, while about five senior consultant doctors fought to save him, yet all of them broke down in tears,” he said.

Harbo recalled that his mother was initially unaware of the incident and asked whether the doctor had arrived.

Before he could respond, another patient reportedly informed her that the physician they had all been waiting to see had just died.

On hearing the news, Harbo said his mother immediately offered prayers for the deceased.

“‘Innalillahi wa inna ilaihi raji’un. So that was the doctor they rushed inside? May Allah have mercy on him. Let us just go home. I am already healed,’ she said.”

Harbo said he struggled to contain his emotions as he drove his mother home after the incident.

He also disclosed that those present during the doctor’s final moments said his last audible words were, “La ilaha illallah,” the Islamic declaration of faith.

Describing the loss as one that would remain with him for a long time, Harbo prayed for Allah to forgive the late physician’s shortcomings and grant him Al-Jannah Firdaus.

The cause of Dr. Ibrahim’s sudden collapse was not immediately known.