The Senate has postponed its two-day National Security Summit scheduled for Oct. 12 and 13 indefinitely.
Sen. Opeyemi Bamidele, Leader of the Senate and Chairman, Senate Ad Hoc Committee on the summit, announced the postponement in a statement on Tuesday.
Bamidele said the decision followed the crash of a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) ATR-42 aircraft in Igbokoda, headquarters of Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the crash on Monday claimed the lives of 25 officers and seven crew members.
He said the Senate had convened the summit to review the country’s perennial security challenges and propose pragmatic solutions to guarantee the safety of lives and property across the federation.
According to him, the ad hoc committee had concluded arrangements for the summit after the completion of zonal public hearings.
He, however, said the NAF aircraft crash necessitated the postponement of the summit.
Bamidele said President Bola Tinubu had declared three days of national mourning in honour of the deceased officers and crew members.
He added that the President also directed that the national flags be flown at half-mast nationwide.
“Following the declaration of national mourning, the Senate resolved that the National Security Summit should be deferred until further notice in honour of the victims of the crash,” he said.
Bamidele expressed the Senate’s heartfelt condolences to Tinubu, the Nigerian Armed Forces, particularly the Nigerian Air Force, and families of the officers and crew members.
He described the deceased as gallant officers who paid the supreme price in active service to their fatherland.
The Senate leader said a new date for the summit would be communicated in due course.
He appealed to stakeholders to take note of the national tragedy and bear with the Senate during the period of mourning.(NAN)
