SENATE SUSPENDS NATIONAL SECURITY SUMMIT FOLLOWING ONDO AIR CRASH
E-ISSN: 2354-4481
By Chukwu Odinaka Solomon
ABUJA, NIGERIA — The Senate has postponed its two-day National Security Summit earlier scheduled for October 12 and 13 following the death of 25 officers and seven crew members in a Nigerian Air Force aircraft crash in Ondo State.
The postponement was announced by the Senate Leader and Chairman of the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on the National Security Summit, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, in a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday.
Bamidele said the decision was taken in honour of the military personnel who lost their lives in the crash and in consideration of the three-day national mourning declared by President Bola Tinubu.
The National Security Summit was designed to bring together key stakeholders from government, security agencies, the legislature, civil society and other relevant sectors to deliberate on Nigeria’s security challenges.
The meeting was expected to examine the country’s growing security concerns and develop practical recommendations aimed at strengthening the protection of lives and property across the country.
According to the Senate Leader, preparations for the summit had already reached an advanced stage, following the completion of zonal public hearings organised ahead of the national gathering.
However, the crash involving a Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 aircraft in Igbokoda, the headquarters of Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, necessitated the postponement.
The incident resulted in the deaths of 25 officers and seven crew members, prompting widespread condolences from government officials, security institutions and Nigerians across the country.
President Tinubu subsequently declared three days of national mourning in honour of the victims and directed that national flags be flown at half-mast throughout the country.
The President also ordered a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash to determine its cause.
Bamidele said the Senate considered it inappropriate to proceed with the security summit during the period of national mourning, stressing that postponing the event was a mark of respect for the deceased personnel who died in active service to the nation.
He expressed condolences to President Tinubu, the Nigerian Armed Forces and, in particular, the Nigerian Air Force over the tragedy.
The Senate Leader also extended sympathies to the families, colleagues and associates of the officers and crew members who died in the crash.
He said the Senate recognised the sacrifice made by the deceased personnel in the service of Nigeria and considered the mourning period an appropriate time to honour their memory.
The National Security Summit had been expected to provide a major platform for discussions on the country's security architecture and possible strategies for addressing threats to lives, property and national development.
The postponement means that stakeholders who had been preparing to attend the October 12 and 13 event will have to await a new date from the Senate.
Bamidele said a fresh date for the summit would be announced at a later time.
He appealed to invited participants, stakeholders and other Nigerians involved in the preparations for the summit to bear with the Senate over the decision.
The postponement comes as the country mourns the military personnel killed in the Ondo State air crash, with attention now focused on the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident and efforts to honour the victims of the tragedy.
