Nigerian Newspaper Headlines, Naija News for Thursday 19th March 2026

Top Nigerian Newspaper Headlines And Naija News For Thursday 18th March 2026.

1. The Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, has declared Friday, March 20, 2026, as the day for the celebration of Eid-el-Fitr in Nigeria. The declaration follows the non-sighting of the crescent moon marking the end of Ramadan across the country.

2. Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, has said ending the Boko Haram insurgency requires involvement of Borno and Yobe people. The CDS said this in Maiduguri, Borno State capital, when he alongside the Chief of Army Staff, General Waidi Shaibu, relocated to Maiduguri, on the directives of President Bola Tinubu, to take direct charge of the situation in the state.

3. Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State has directed all political appointees in the state to hand over their duties with immediate effect, barely 24 hours after his inauguration for a second term. The directive is contained in a circular issued on Wednesday by the Office of the Secretary to the State Government, SSG.

4. Kano State Government has announced that the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, will lead this year’s Eid-el-Fitr Durbar, even as it unveiled strict guidelines to prevent a breakdown of law and order during the celebrations. The government said the decision, approved by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, followed credible intelligence reports indicating attempts by some individuals to create unrest during the Sallah period.

5. The African Democratic Congress has described as “grave violation of fundamental human rights”, the continued detention of former governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasiru El-Rufai, vowing to petition Amnesty International and other human rights groups. The ex-Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, and chieftain of the ADC has been held in custody for over 30 days.

6. President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday received a ceremonial welcome at Windsor Castle, marking the start of his state visit to the United Kingdom. This is the first visit by a Nigerian leader in 37 years. The president, accompanied by the First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, was honoured with a 42-gun salute by the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery.

7. Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed on Wednesday said that he has not “moved” from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress as claimed in certain circles. Mohammed spoke at the Government House, Bauchi, when questioned by journalists after swearing in some newly appointed permanent secretaries in the state.

8. Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, has asserted that the sweeping infrastructure projects currently being executed in Abuja’s satellite towns will make it nearly impossible for any opposition to defeat President Bola Tinubu in the territory in 2027. Speaking during a post-project inspection tour of several road corridors in Karu, the Apo-Karshi axis, Bearing and Kubwa, Wike noted that the “Renewed Hope” administration has succeeded in “giving Nigeria back the lost hope.”

9. Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, will preach at Lambeth Palace, the official residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury, on Thursday. The engagement is part of the historic visit by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the First Lady to the United Kingdom at the invitation of King Charles III. Officials described the visit as a major diplomatic milestone aimed at strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries.

10. The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps said its operatives have uncovered a warehouse used in storing stolen crude oil in Igwuruta, Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State. The Corps said the crude is believed to have been stolen from vandalised pipelines and stored in GP tanks, preparatory for the next illegal step.