The Senate has postponed its two-day National Security Summit scheduled for Oct. 12 and 13 indefinitely.

Opeyemi Bamidele, Senate leader and chairman of the ad hoc committee on the summit, announced the postponement in a statement on Tuesday.

Mr Bamidele said the decision followed the crash of a Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 aircraft in Igbokoda, headquarters of Ilaje council area of Ondo.

The Monday crash killed 25 people, many of them air force operatives.

He said the Senate convened the summit to review the country’s perennial security challenges and propose pragmatic solutions to protect lives and property across the federation. According to him, the ad hoc committee concluded arrangements for the summit after completing zonal public hearings.

He said, however, that the NAF aircraft crash necessitated the postponement of the summit.

Mr 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.

Mr Bamidele expressed the Senate’s heartfelt condolences to Mr 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 it would communicate a new date for the summit 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)