Justice Muslim Hassan of the Federal High Court, Lagos has withdrawn from further presiding over the corruption charges brought against former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

Fani-Kayode is accused of fraud to the tune of N4.9 billion, an allegation to which he had pleaded not guilty.

Justice Hassan has not given any reason yet as to why he is withdrawing from the case but he ordered that the case file be returned to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta, for re-assignment to another judge.

He also directed that Fani-Kayode and the other accused persons should  await further directive from the Chief Judge.

Fani-Kayode, the director of media and publicity in the failed presidential campaign of former President Goodluck Jonathan, is currently undergoing many corruption charges with some having to do with receiving money from former National Security Adviser, NSA, Sambo Dasuki during the electoral campaigns.

The EFCC said that Fani-Kayode ought to have known that the monies were proceeds of unlawful activities.

Fani-Kayode is currently on bail but he has remained a fierce critic of the Muhammadu Buhari-led administration.