Detroit (CNN) -- A Nigerian man accused of attempting to detonate an explosive device in his underwear aboard a Christmas 2009 flight to Detroit will head to trial on October 4, a federal judge said Tuesday.
Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab was ordered to attend the Tuesday afternoon hearing in U.S. District Court in Michigan, despite the his efforts to not appear.
In September, AbdulMutallab told U.S. District Judge Nancy Edmunds he did not want to be represented by the public defenders assigned to his case and wanted to act as his own lawyer.
Edmunds agreed, but appointed a standby counsel for him in case he needs help.
Last week, AbdulMutallab's standby lawyer requested that the suspect not attend Tuesday's hearing.
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"As long as (the) defendant chooses to represent himself in this matter, he must appear at court for all proceedings," Edmunds wrote in her court order.
AbdulMutallab has been indicted on charges that include attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction, conspiracy to commit an act of terrorism and possession of a firearm or destructive device in furtherance of an act of violence.
He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
He was a passenger on Northwest Airlines Flight 253 en route to Detroit from the Netherlands on Christmas Day 2009.
According to an indictment, he went into a restroom shortly before the plane was to land, and when he returned to his seat he said his stomach was upset and pulled a blanket over himself. Prosecutors allege he then tried to ignite an explosive device that was hidden in his underwear.
Passengers and flight crew members subdued him. U.S. officials say the terror group al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula was behind the alleged bombing attempt.
CNN's Laura Dolan contributed to this report
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