The Senate has postponed its two-day National Security Summit scheduled for October 12 and 13 following the fatal crash of a Nigerian Air Force aircraft in Ondo State.

The Senate Leader and Chairman of the Senate Ad Hoc Committee on the National Security Summit, Sen. Opeyemi Bamidele, announced the postponement in a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday.

He said the decision was taken in honour of the victims and in line with the three-day national mourning declared by President Bola Tinubu.

The Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 aircraft crashed in the Igbokoda area of Ilaje Local Government Area, Ondo State, on Monday while on a routine mission from Benin City to Lagos.

The Nigerian Air Force later confirmed that 25 people, comprising 20 passengers and five crew members, were on board and that there were no survivors.

Bamidele said the summit, which was expected to bring together key stakeholders to examine Nigeria’s persistent security challenges, would now hold on a new date to be announced by the Senate.

The summit was expected to build on zonal public hearings already conducted by the ad hoc committee and develop practical measures to strengthen the protection of lives and property across the country.

The Senate Leader said the postponement was considered appropriate during the period of national mourning as a mark of respect for the military personnel who died in active service.

He expressed condolences to President Tinubu, the Nigerian Armed Forces, particularly the Nigerian Air Force, and the families of the deceased officers and crew members.

President Tinubu had declared three days of national mourning following the crash and directed that national flags be flown at half-mast across the country. He also ordered a thorough investigation into the cause of the accident.

The Defence Headquarters has separately ordered an investigation into the crash, while the circumstances surrounding the accident remain under investigation.

Bamidele appealed to participants and other stakeholders expected at the summit to bear with the Senate over the postponement, saying a new date would be communicated in due course.