In her judgment, Justice Nyako ordered that Malami pay each of the defendants ₦50,000 for the inconveniences they have endured as a result of the absence of the Federal Government’s lead counsel, Mr. Shuaib Magaji Labaran.

The judge who was not pleased with the development noted that the defendants must be paid before the adjourned date of March 17.

The Federal Government was not represented at Wednesday’s proceeding.

As justice Nyako was about adjourning the case, one Mrs. Adewumi Aluko from the Federal Ministry of Justice came in and apologized that the Federal Government’s lead counsel was out of the country.

According to Aluko, two witnesses were in court but did not speak due to the absence of the lead counsel and sought an adjournment.

Nyako was not pleased with Aluko’s apologies and requested the Federal Government to take the situation more seriously.

The judge also advised the defense lawyers to refrain from filing frivolous pleas to postpone the trial, which began in 2015.

Meanwhile, Justice Nyako has scheduled a resumption of the trial for March 17.