El-Rufai was driven into the court premises at about 9:00am, but alighted from the vehicle conveying him at exactly 9:05am, drawing the attention of security operatives and a handful of observers within the vicinity.
The resumed hearing follows Tuesday’s proceedings, which were stalled after a series of legal manoeuvres by the defence team introduced fresh twists to the case.
The PUNCH reports that the earlier session was disrupted after the defence filed a motion requesting the presiding judge, Justice Rilwan M. Aikawa, to recuse himself from the matter over alleged bias and a pending petition.
The application, which questioned the impartiality of the court, marked a significant turn in the proceedings and prompted immediate reactions from the prosecution.
However, in a dramatic reversal, the defence subsequently filed another motion seeking to withdraw its earlier request for the judge to step aside from the case.
