Former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, arrived at the Federal High Court in Kaduna on Wednesday morning for the continuation of proceedings on his bail application.
El-Rufai was driven into the court premises around 9:00 a.m. and stepped out of his vehicle shortly after, drawing the attention of security personnel and a small number of onlookers present at the venue.
Security around the court was significantly heightened, with armed operatives stationed both داخل and outside the premises to ensure order. As the session commenced, journalists were denied entry into the courtroom, with officials enforcing strict access restrictions.
The hearing follows developments from Tuesday’s session, which was disrupted by a series of legal moves from the defence team that introduced fresh twists to the case.
During the earlier proceedings, the defence filed a motion asking the presiding judge, Justice Rilwan M. Aikawa, to step aside over claims of bias and a pending petition questioning his neutrality. The request was strongly opposed by the prosecution.
In a surprising turn, the defence later submitted another application seeking to withdraw its earlier request for the judge’s recusal. The conflicting motions sparked intense legal arguments between both sides, causing delays that stalled the bail hearing.
The situation became more complex when the prosecution filed a counter-affidavit opposing El-Rufai’s bail request, leaving the defence with little time to review and respond.
Following the developments, Justice Aikawa adjourned the case to Wednesday for the continuation of the hearing.
