Kaduna, Kaduna State, Nigeria — Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, arrived at the Federal High Court in Kaduna, northwestern Nigeria, on Wednesday morning for the continuation of the hearing of his bail application. Okay News reports that the development follows procedural delays during earlier proceedings.
El-Rufai was driven into the court premises at about 9:00am West African Time (WAT, GMT+1) and stepped out of the vehicle at approximately 9:05am. His arrival drew the attention of security operatives and a small number of observers gathered near the court complex.
The resumed hearing comes after Tuesday’s proceedings were stalled due to a series of legal manoeuvres by the defence team. During the earlier session, the defence filed a motion requesting the presiding judge, Justice Rilwan M. Aikawa of the Federal High Court in Kaduna, to recuse himself from the case over alleged bias and a pending petition.
The application raised questions about the court’s impartiality and prompted an immediate response from the prosecution. In a subsequent move, however, the defence filed another motion seeking to withdraw its earlier request for the judge to step aside. The conflicting applications led to exchanges between both parties and delayed the hearing of the bail request.
The situation became more complex when the prosecution submitted a counter-affidavit opposing the bail application. The defence was left with limited time to review and respond to the new filings.
In view of these developments, Justice Aikawa adjourned the matter to Wednesday for the continuation of the bail hearing. Armed security personnel were deployed within and around the court premises, restricting movement and monitoring activities.
Journalists were barred from accessing the courtroom as security operatives enforced strict entry controls during the proceedings.
