​The Senate has suspended its highly anticipated two-day National Security Summit, originally scheduled for Monday, October 12, and Tuesday, October 13, 2026, until further notice.
​The decision to defer the high-level engagement was reached to honor the military personnel who tragically lost their lives in a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) ATR-42 aircraft crash in Ondo State. The tragic incident claimed the lives of 25 officers and seven crew members while in active service.
​The announcement was made in an official statement released on Tuesday, October 6, in Abuja by the Leader of the Senate and Chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee on Security, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele.
​The postponement directly aligns with the three-day period of national mourning declared by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, during which national flags across the country are to be flown at half-mast to honor the fallen service members.
​”Against the backdrop of the declaration of national mourning by the Commander-in-Chief, the Senate resolved that the national security summit should be deferred till further notice in honor of the victims of the crash,” Senator Bamidele stated.
​He extended deep sympathies on behalf of the upper legislative chamber, stating: “The Senate extends its heartfelt condolences to the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR; the Nigerian Armed Forces, particularly the Nigerian Air Force; and the families of the gallant officers and crew members who paid the supreme price in active service to the fatherland.”
​The National Security Summit was designed to address the nation’s critical security challenges through policy recommendations and collaborative frameworks among military chiefs, security agencies, and lawmakers.
​The Senate confirmed that all preparatory plans, including the conclusion of regional public hearings across the six geopolitical zones, had been finalised prior to the accident. A new date for the summit will be communicated to stakeholders and the public after the conclusion of the national mourning period.
