The senate has postponed its two-day national security summit scheduled for October 12 and 13 until further notice in honour of victims of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) aircraft crash in Ondo state.
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 LGA of Ondo state, on Monday, killing 25 personnel and seven crew members.
The senate had convened the summit to review the country’s perennial security challenges and propose pragmatic solutions to guarantee the security of lives and property across the federation.
The ad-hoc committee had concluded plans for the summit following the completion of zonal public hearings, but the crash necessitated its postponement.
The postponement follows President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s declaration of 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 security summit in view of the national mourning declared by the president.
The senate extended its 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 communicated in due course.
It also appealed to all stakeholders to take note of the national disaster and bear with the senate during the period of national mourning.
The summit is expected to focus on Nigeria’s security challenges and possible measures to improve the protection of lives and property across the country.
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