Even though the witnesses in the case before a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Abuja were present in court, the defendant, Dasuki, was absent, which forced the presiding judge, Baba Yusuf, to adjourn commencement of trial till May 23.

According to the EFCC counsel, Oluwaleke Atolagbe, he made frantic efforts, through the anti-graft agency, to reach out to the DSS to ensure Dasuki is produced in court on Tuesday, but his attempts were unsuccessful.

Counsel to  Salisu Shuaib, a former director of finance at the office of the national security adviser, Akin Olujimi, who is also facing trial in the case said that the prosecution should admit its failure to produce Dasuki in court.

He argued that by law, a trial will not proceed while the defendant is absent, therefore urged the judge to grant adjournment to the prosecution so that it can produce Dasuki in court on a later date.

READ: EFCC seizes Dasuki's property in Kaduna

Olujimi also asked the court to issue a stern warning to the prosecution to take the case seriously and to ensure that the ex-NSA is available in court at all stages of the trial as demanded by law.

In his ruling, Justice Baba-Yusuf berated the prosecution for its sloppiness in the case and adjourned till three weeks' time.