The Senate has postponed its planned national security summit in Abuja, following the crash of a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) military aircraft, ATR 42 aircraft, NAF 931, in Ondo State.
The two-day summit, initially scheduled for October 12 and 13, was deferred indefinitely as the Senate joined the nation in mourning the military personnel who lost their lives in the air mishap.
Senate Leader and Chairman of the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on the National Security Summit, Opeyemi Bamidele, announced the decision in a statement issued on Tuesday.
He said the postponement was in line with the three-day national mourning declared by President Bola Tinubu for the victims of the crash.
Tinubu had also ordered that the national flag be flown at half-mast across the country as a mark of respect for the deceased military personnel.
Bamidele expressed the Senate’s condolences to the President, the Armed Forces, particularly the Nigerian Air Force, and the families of the victims.
The Senate described the deceased as gallant officers who sacrificed their lives in the service of the country and said a new date for the security summit would be announced later.
The summit was convened to examine Nigeria’s persistent security challenges and develop practical measures for strengthening the protection of lives and property nationwide.
The Senate urged stakeholders who had been preparing for the meeting to understand the decision and await further communication on the rescheduled date.