Thursday 19 March 2026 · #NNF-2026-079 · Eid-el-Fitr Public Holiday Edition
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Naija News Feeds
Nigeria’s Stories · Told With Clarity · naijanewsfeeds.com
King Charles closes Windsor state banquet with “Naija No Dey Carry Last!” — Tinubu meets Keir Starmer at No.10 today Troops kill 80 ISWAP fighters + 3 top commanders in decoy ambush at Mallam Fatori, Borno — operational notebooks seized Liverpool 4-0 Galatasaray (agg. 4-1) — Salah scores 50th UCL goal · Osimhen off at halftime with arm injury · Reds to face PSG in QF Shettima visits Maiduguri bombing victims at UMTH — commiserates with families of 23 killed Eid-el-Fitr 2026 — Nigeria celebrates as crescent moon was not sighted Wed; Eid prayers hold Thursday morning nationwide Global Terrorism Report 2025 — Nigeria ranks 4th most affected country in the world Peller’s palace access sparks Benin Kingdom fury — Queen faces expulsion over “desecration” of royal grounds King Charles closes Windsor state banquet with “Naija No Dey Carry Last!” — Tinubu meets Keir Starmer at No.10 today
State Visit · Diplomacy Windsor Castle State Banquet NNF-079-01
👑 Windsor Castle First State Visit in 37 Years Historic · 18 March 2026
In the gilded grandeur of St George’s Hall, Windsor Castle, Britain’s King Charles III raised his glass and, switching to Nigerian Pidgin English, declared — “Naija no dey carry last” — bringing the house down and sending the internet into a frenzy.
Wednesday night’s State Banquet at Windsor Castle was by any measure a night of history. President Bola Tinubu and First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu, seated at the 47-metre table adorned with flowers from the gardens of Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, dined with King Charles III and Queen Camilla, Prince William and Princess Catherine, Princess Anne, and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh — alongside 160 guests drawn from Nigerian-British business, sport, culture and academia. The King opened his speech with Yoruba — “Ekabo. Se Daaa Daa Ni” (Greetings, I hope you are well) — and acknowledged Tinubu’s “no small sacrifice” in travelling during Ramadan, wishing him “Ramadan Mubarak.” He closed with Pidgin — “Naija no dey carry last” — as his toast to the President and people of Nigeria, provoking roaring applause and a laughing, clapping Tinubu.
“Your nation, Mr President, is an economic powerhouse, a cultural force and an influential diplomatic voice from a continent that is playing an increasingly important role in the world. From Afrobeats filling our concert halls and Nollywood captivating our screens, to stars competing in our Premier League and adjudicating our highest courts, so much of Britain’s culture is, in truth, profoundly enriched by Nigeria.”
— HM King Charles III · Windsor Castle State Banquet · 18 March 2026
Among the standout moments: the King shared that he had recently hosted young Nigerians in the UK to a “Jollof and Tea” party at St James’s Palace, joking that he was firmly told the jollof was “only the best — Nigerian, of course… or perhaps Ghanaian or Senegalese. Diplomatically, I cannot remember!” He quoted Yoruba, Hausa, and Igbo proverbs, called Nigeria the UK’s biggest export market in Africa (as of January 2026), and noted that Nigerians spent £178 million in Britain in 2024 — matched pound-for-pound by 251,000 British visitors to Nigeria. The banquet was the first Royal state banquet during Ramadan hosting a Muslim head of state since 1928, when King George V received King Amanullah Khan of Afghanistan. Special arrangements were made: a prayer room, a non-alcoholic bespoke “Crimson Bloom” mocktail inspired by Nigeria’s iconic Chapman cocktail (hibiscus, ginger, lemon, English Rose soda), and iftar before the dinner service. Among the 160 guests: England rugby captain Maro Itoje, Olympic 400m gold medallist Christine Ohuruogu, singer Tiwa Savage, broadcaster Ade Adepitan, UK’s first Black female Michelin-starred chef Adejoke Bakare, and PM Keir Starmer. Tinubu meets Keir Starmer at 10 Downing Street today — Thursday — for bilateral talks and the signing of multiple MoUs.
Security · Northeast Major Military Victory in Borno NNF-079-02
🪖 Operation HADIN KAI Mallam Fatori, Borno 18 March 2026
Days after the Maiduguri triple bombing shocked the nation, the Nigerian military has delivered its most emphatic counter-blow in months — routing a massive five-pronged ISWAP assault with zero recorded soldier casualties.
Troops of Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) on Wednesday repelled a coordinated, five-pronged terrorist attack on their base at 68 Battalion, Mallam Fatori, Abadam Local Government Area of Borno State — killing at least 80 ISWAP fighters and neutralising three high-profile commanders: Mallam Abdulrahman Gobara, Mallam Ba Yuram, and Abou Ayyuba, who had coordinated and led the assault. The attack, which began at approximately 12:50am, involved insurgents supported by armed drones advancing from the Duguri axis. Military spokesman Lt Col Sanni Uba said troops had “maintained full situational awareness of the battlespace” and anticipated the attack — luring the insurgents into a kill zone before unleashing a coordinated offensive-defensive operation. The assault was further crushed by precision close air support from the Nigerian Air Force component and rapid strike passes from allied Nigerien air assets.
80+
ISWAP Killed
3
Top Cmdr’s Killed
5
Attack Prongs Repelled
0
Soldiers Killed (Reported)
🔑
Notebooks Seized
In a development described as a significant intelligence windfall, troops recovered detailed operational notebooks from slain ISWAP fighters — revealing the group’s highly structured internal administration. The notebooks contained lists of militants and their assigned roles, ledgers tracking the issuance of AK-47 rifles and motorcycles “signed out” like corporate assets, and ammunition allocations per fighter. One entry listed a cameraman as having received memory cards instead of bullets — confirming ISWAP’s continuing media propaganda operation. Other named fighters killed include Zarkawi, Ba Bunu, Rawa Fannami, Abowor Suwurti, Bulama Mil, and several others. Security analysts say the intelligence from the notebooks could be pivotal in disrupting ISWAP’s command structures across Borno and the Lake Chad Basin.
🔴 Maiduguri Aftermath VP Shettima Visit
As Nigeria observes Eid-el-Fitr, the scars of Monday’s triple bombing remain raw — and the Vice President made the journey to Maiduguri to sit with the wounded and grieve with the bereaved.
Vice President Senator Kashim Shettima, accompanied by the Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Hajiya Zubaida Umar, visited victims of the Maiduguri bombings receiving treatment at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) on Wednesday. Speaking to journalists after the ward visit, Shettima commiserated with the Borno State Government, the people of the North-East, and the families of the 23 killed and 108 wounded. He condemned the attacks, stressed that no religion endorses the killing of innocents, and reassured Nigerians of the government’s commitment to restoring lasting peace. MSF (Médecins Sans Frontières) continues to support hospitals with emergency medical aid and blood transfusions. Security forces remain on heightened alert across Maiduguri as residents cautiously begin Eid prayers in the city this Thursday morning.
Football · UCL Champions League — Anfield Night NNF-079-04
⚽ UCL Round of 16 · 2nd Leg Anfield · 18 March 2026 ⚠️ Osimhen Injured
Nigeria watched with both pride and heartbreak — as Liverpool swept Galatasaray aside at Anfield, but Victor Osimhen’s Champions League campaign may be over after a first-half arm injury forced him off at the break.
🔴 LIVERPOOL
Szoboszlai 25′ · Ekitike 51′
Gravenberch 53′ · Salah 61′
Gravenberch 53′ · Salah 61′
4 — 0
UCL R16 · 2nd Leg · Anfield
Agg: 4 — 1
Agg: 4 — 1
GALATASARAY 🇹🇷
Osimhen off HT (arm injury)
Replaced: Leroy Sané 46′
Replaced: Leroy Sané 46′
Mohamed Salah wrote his name permanently into Champions League history at Anfield on Wednesday night, scoring Liverpool’s fourth to claim his 50th UCL goal — the first African player ever to reach that milestone in the competition. Liverpool overturned a 1-0 first-leg deficit from Istanbul in devastating fashion: Szoboszlai (25′) broke the deadlock with a cushioned finish from a worked corner; Ekitike (51′) and Gravenberch (53′) struck in the space of 115 electrifying seconds to put the tie beyond doubt; and Salah (61′) completed the rout with the goal of the night. Liverpool advance to face PSG in the quarter-finals — the same side that knocked them out of this competition last season.
For Nigeria, the night was bittersweet. Victor Osimhen — who had entered Wednesday’s game carrying the hopes of millions after setting the all-time record of 8 UCL goal involvements for a Nigerian player — suffered a forearm injury in a collision with Ibrahima Konaté inside the first few minutes. He battled on until half-time before being replaced by Leroy Sané at the interval. ESPN reported Osimhen hobbled visibly but refused to leave the field early. The Nigerian striker was rated 3/10 by Sky Sports — “given so little to work with” but also clearly limited by the injury. Galatasaray mustered just 4 shots and 0 big chances across 90 minutes. Osimhen’s participation in Galatasaray’s remaining Europa League fixtures is now uncertain pending medical assessment.
Eid-el-Fitr 2026 Nigeria Celebrates — Eid Prayers Nationwide NNF-079-05
🌙 Eid-el-Fitr 1447AH Public Holiday · Thu–Fri 19–20 March 2026
The holy month of Ramadan 1447AH draws to its joyful close — and across Nigeria’s mosques, from Kano to Lagos to Abuja, the faithful gather for the morning Eid prayers that mark one of Islam’s most cherished celebrations.
Nigeria is observing a two-day public holiday — Thursday 19 and Friday 20 March 2026 — for Eid-el-Fitr, the festival of breaking the fast. The Sultan of Sokoto’s nationwide moon sighting exercise on Wednesday evening failed to sight the new crescent, confirming that Ramadan would complete its 30th day on Wednesday and that Eid prayers would fall on Thursday morning — a decision that aligned with the calendar-based calculation used by many states. Saudi Arabia, however, confirmed that their own moon sighting also did not yield a sighting on Wednesday night, and officially declared Friday 20 March as Eid day — a slight divergence that is common in global Islamic jurisprudence. Nigerian Muslims are celebrating on both days across different states. The FG’s holiday covers both Thursday and Friday to accommodate this variation. Vice President Shettima and Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara have both extended Eid greetings, calling for unity, peace, and tolerance as the nation also processes the grief of the Maiduguri bombings that occurred just days before Eid.
Also in the News Thursday Morning Digest NNF-079-D
| Category | Story | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 🇬🇧 UK Visit | Tinubu meets PM Keir Starmer at 10 Downing Street today — bilateral talks expected to produce signed MoUs on trade, investment, defence, immigration and cultural cooperation. First Lady Oluremi Tinubu preaches at Lambeth Palace, seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury. Nigerian-UK bilateral trade now worth £8.1 billion annually. | Channels TV |
| 🌍 Terrorism | Global Terrorism Report 2025 ranks Nigeria 4th most affected country in the world. The Sahel accounts for nearly half of all global terror deaths. Nigeria, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger dominate the index as Boko Haram/ISWAP intensify their northeast campaign. The report was released as the Maiduguri bombings dominated global headlines. | Punch |
| 🕌 Religion | Benin Traditional Council threatens to expel a queen who allowed social media influencer and content creator Peller access to the palace during his 2026 Nationwide State Tour — describing the visit as a “desecration” of the royal grounds. The council has issued a formal warning and opened disciplinary proceedings. | Punch · Tribune |
| 🗳️ Politics | ADC coalition calls for southern Nigeria presidential ticket in 2027. A coalition of prominent southern Nigerians has urged the ADC to zone its 2027 presidential ticket to the South, citing the principle of equitable power rotation that was disrupted in 2023. The call puts pressure on Peter Obi, now the party’s most prominent figure. | Punch |
| ⚽ Sports | Nigeria’s NFF pushes back after FIFA dismisses DR Congo eligibility petition. FIFA ruled against Nigeria’s challenge over allegedly ineligible Congo players used in the 2026 World Cup playoff that Nigeria lost 4-3 on penalties. The NFF confirmed receipt of the verdict and is expected to announce further steps, potentially appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. | Naija News |
| 💡 Power | GenCo shutdown crisis: Power generation companies halt operations over ₦6.8 trillion debt burden. Nigeria’s electricity generation has worsened significantly as power companies shut down amid a growing debt crisis, plunging more communities into darkness. Energy economists describe the sector as “a complex network of failures that reinforce each other.” | Nigerian Eye · Guardian |
| ⚖️ Crime | Delta State Police smash kidnap syndicate in Issele-Uku forest gun battle — rescuing three victims and recovering an AK-47 rifle. The operation, carried out by a rapid-response unit, resulted in the arrest of four suspects. The victims, who had been held for ransom, were reunited with their families. | Punch |
| 🎬 Entertainment | Music legend 2Baba announces “The 2Baba Experience” concert for March 29, 2026 — a landmark show celebrating 25 years in the music industry. The event will be held at a major Lagos venue and is expected to draw a star-studded lineup of collaborators from his quarter-century career in Nigerian and African music. | Guardian Nigeria |
| 🏥 Health | MDCN accredits Kwara State University Teaching Hospital for preclinical medical programme — a major milestone for medical education in the state, expanding the pipeline of doctors trained in North-Central Nigeria. | Punch |
| 🌍 US-Iran War | US Counterterrorism Chief Joseph Kent resigns in protest over Iran war, citing external political pressure on intelligence operations. President Trump welcomed his exit, calling him “weak.” The resignation deepens concerns about the coherence of US strategy in the Middle East as the conflict enters its fourth week and global oil markets remain stressed above $100/barrel. | Punch |
| 📊 Economy | Naira appreciates against the dollar in the official market — continuing a rally that analysts attribute to higher oil revenues from the $100/barrel crude price and sustained CBN FX interventions. The official rate moved closer to ₦1,350/$ from the ₦1,367 level seen earlier in the week. | Nigerian Eye |
| 🏫 Education | NYSC DG confirms all corps members are covered by comprehensive insurance — including both life and medical care throughout their service year — following concerns raised after recent incidents involving corps members in dangerous postings. | Punch |