House Shifts Security Summit to Honour Attahiru, Others

Udora Orizu in Abuja

The House of Representatives has shifted the national security summit that had been convened to discuss ways of finding lasting solutions to insecurity in the country.

The week-long summit earlier scheduled to begin on May 24, 2021, was moved to May 26.

A statement issued by the Clerk of the House, Chinedu Francis Akubueze, said the decision to shift the summit was taken as a mark of honour to the late Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant-General Ibrahim Attahiru, and 10 other military officers who died in a plane crash last Friday.

The late COAS was one of the guests expected to make presentation during the summit.

The statement read: “The House shares in the grief and sorrow of the families of the late top military officers, and prayed that the Almighty God will grant them eternal rest.

“It should be noted that the postponement became necessary as the late Army Chief was one of the major stakeholders that would have taken part in the summit. The House regrets any inconvenience the postponement may cause invited guests.”

The Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, had announced that the summit would be held behind closed doors with only members of the House and invited security experts in attendance.

Gbajabiamila said the security chiefs would be expected to speak freely and bare their minds on the security challenges facing Nigeria with a view to finding ways to address them.