The Senate has announced the indefinitely postponement of 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 25 lives.

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

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

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.

From Musa Disso (Kano)

A chieftain of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), in Kano state Aminu Warkai, has been summer bed by the state Police authorities for questioning over his alleged display of firearms during a recent political gathering.

Warkai had in a viral video openly displayed a firearm suspected to be a pump-action rifle at the said political occasion.

The Kano state Police Command In a statement by its Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Kiyawa, said the alleged act constituted a clear violation of the provisions of the Firearms Act.

The police insisted the act was capable of inciting fear, intimidating the public, and amounted to a breach of public peace and security.

“On the directive of the Commissioner of Police, Kano State Command, CP Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, the said Aminu Abdullahi Warkal was invited to the Command Headquarters, Bompai, Kano,” said the statement.

“He is currently at the Command’s State Intelligence Department (SID), and an investigation is in progress,” the statement held.

“The Commissioner of Police will not tolerate any act of lawlessness, thuggery, or display of weapons capable of threatening public peace, irrespective of the status of the person involved,” the statement disclosed.

The police statement said the “alleged unlawful display of a firearm, if established, constitutes a clear violation of the provisions of the Firearms Act and is capable of inciting fear, intimidating members of the public and breaching public peace and security

“All political activities must be conducted in a manner that promotes peace, tolerance and respect for the rule of law,” the police said.

The Command reiterated its commitment to protecting lives and property and ensuring that Kano State remains peaceful before, during and after the political season.

By Tony Chuddy 

The opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC) has blamed poor implementation  and utilisation of the N4.4 billion defence maintenance before dget to the series of military plane crashes that have taken the live of several young Nigerian officers

The party ina statement by it’s National Publicly Secretary, Bolaji Abdullah, expressed sadness over Monday’s crash of a Nigerian Air Force (ATR-42) aircraft in Igbokoda, Ondo State.

The party therefore called for an audit of the “non-implementation of defence budgets needed for the regular maintenance of aircraft in service with the Nigerian Air Force.”

The ADC said the incident, which he described as “tragic and unfortunate”, highlights the poor funding of defence budgets in the country.

“While we do not intend to prejudice ongoing investigations into the cause of this tragic crash, we believe that this sad moment also provides an opportunity to raise, yet again, questions about the non-implementation of the defence budget and the perennial neglect of military equipment,” the statement read.

The opposition party recalled that the federal government had in 2025,  released the sum of N4.5 billion, representing only about 13.98 per cent of the N34.71 billion budgeted for the maintenance of Nigerian Air Force aircraft.

The statement noted that the released sum, “stood in sharp contrast to the N20.74 billion allocated for the maintenance of the Presidential Air Fleet, of which N20.27 billion had been released over the same period, representing 97.76 per cent.

“Put simply, while the fleet that serves a handful of people in power got almost every kobo it asked for, the fleet that serves and protects 200 million Nigerians was left with crumbs,” ADC said.

While insisting that the safety of the President matters, ADC said what also matters is the safety of the pilots and airmen who put their lives on the line in defence of the country.

“Patriotism does not replace spare parts, and condolence messages do not take the place of accountability,” the party added.

The party therefore demanded investigations into the cause of the crash and a thorough probe of the maintenance of defence equipment, especially the Nigerian Air Force fleet.