Mustapha Fawaz, 49, Abdallah Thahini, 48, and Talal Ahmad Roda, 51, were charged last month after a massive supply of weapons was found at a business in the capital Abuja and a private home in the northern city of Kano. A fourth suspect is said to be on the run.
“There is the likelihood … that the first, second and third accused persons may not appear for trial,” said High Court Justice Adeniyi Ademola Adetokunbo, AFP reported.
Nigerian authorities had stated last month that the three members of the cell during questioning admitted to being members of Hezbollah which is supported by the Iranian regime.
The judge also denied a request to re-open the businesses operated by the accused, which include a supermarket and an amusement park in the capital.
The Lebanese suspects, who are said to also hold Nigerian citizenship, have pleaded not guilty to all six counts of the terrorism-related offences.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, is home to a sizeable Lebanese population, including in the mainly Muslim north.