By Wellington Jopelo
Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, arrived at the Federal High Court in Kaduna on Wednesday morning for the resumed hearing of his bail application.
El-Rufai was driven to the court premises around 9:00 a.m. and alighted from his vehicle at 9:05 a.m., attracting the attention of security operatives and a few observers in the area.
The hearing resumes following Tuesday’s session, which was stalled after the defence introduced a motion requesting that the presiding judge, Justice Rilwan M. Aikawa, recuse himself over alleged bias and a pending petition.
The motion, questioning the judge’s impartiality, caused a major development in the case and drew immediate responses from the prosecution.
In a sudden turn, the defence later filed another motion to withdraw its earlier request for the judge’s recusal. Meanwhile, the prosecution submitted a counter-affidavit opposing the bail application, leaving the defence with limited time to respond.
Following these developments, Justice Aikawa adjourned the matter to Wednesday for the continuation of the bail hearing.
Security was tight, with armed personnel positioned inside and outside the court to monitor activities and restrict movement.
Journalists and reporters, were barred from accessing the courtroom as strict entry controls were enforced.