Senate postpones security summit in honour of air crash victims

The Senate has indefinitely postponed its two-day National Security Summit, initially scheduled for October 12 and 13, 2026, following the tragic crash of a Nigerian Air Force aircraft in Ondo State that claimed 32 lives.

The decision was announced on Tuesday in a statement personally signed by Senate Leader and Chairman of the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on the National Security Summit, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele.

The Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 aircraft crashed in Igbokoda, headquarters of Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, killing 25 officers and seven crew members on board.

Following the tragedy, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared three days of national mourning and directed that national flags be flown at half-mast nationwide. The upper chamber resolved to defer the summit to align with the period of national mourning and honour the fallen personnel.

The ad-hoc committee had recently concluded plans for the high-level summit following the completion of zonal public hearings.

The gathering is aimed at addressing Nigeria’s ongoing security challenges and proposing actionable solutions to protect lives and property across the country.

Extending its condolences, the Senate expressed deep sympathy to President Tinubu, the Nigerian Armed Forces, the Nigerian Air Force, and the families of the officers and crew members who lost their lives in active service.

The Senate leadership noted that a new date for the summit would be announced in due course, appealing to all key stakeholders to stand with the nation during this period of grief.