The Senate has postponed its two-day national security summit scheduled for October 12 and 13 until further notice, in honour of the victims of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) aircraft crash in Ondo State.
Gatekeepers News reports that Opeyemi Bamidele, Senate Leader and Chairman of the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on the National Security Summit, announced the postponement in a statement on Tuesday.
The NAF ATR-42 aircraft crashed in Igbokoda, headquarters of Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, on Monday, killing 25 people on board.
The Senate had convened the summit to review Nigeria’s persistent security challenges and develop pragmatic measures to strengthen the protection of lives and property across the country.
The ad-hoc committee had concluded preparations for the summit following the completion of zonal public hearings. However, the fatal aircraft crash led to the decision to suspend the event.
The postponement comes after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared three days of national mourning in honour of the NAF personnel who died in the crash.
Tinubu also directed that national flags be flown at half-mast nationwide as a mark of respect for the victims.
Bamidele said the Senate resolved to defer the summit in view of the national mourning declared by the President.
The Senate expressed condolences to Tinubu, the Nigerian Armed Forces, particularly the Nigerian Air Force, and the families of the officers and crew members who died in active service.
The upper chamber described the deceased as gallant officers who “paid the supreme price in active service to the fatherland”.
The Senate said a new date for the national security summit would be announced in due course.
It also appealed to stakeholders to take note of the national tragedy and bear with the Senate during the period of mourning.
The summit is expected to examine Nigeria’s security challenges and consider possible measures to strengthen the protection of lives and property across the country.
