Top Nigerian Newspaper Headlines For Today, Tuesday, 17th March, 2026
Good morning Nigeria. Welcome to the Naija News roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Tuesday, 17th March, 2026.
by Oladipo Abiola · Naija News1. First Lady, Akpabio, Others Join President Tinubu On State Visit To UK
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, accompanied by the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, will depart Abuja on Tuesday, March 17, for a State Visit to the United Kingdom as guests of Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
King Charles will host President Tinubu and his wife at Windsor Castle from Wednesday, March 18, to Thursday, March 19, according to a statement on Monday by presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga.
The state visit is the first by a Nigerian leader in 37 years. President Tinubu is also the first Nigerian leader to be hosted by the British monarch at Windsor Castle.
Nigeria and the United Kingdom share a deep history of ties and a special bond.
Naija News understands that the purpose of this visit is to strengthen bilateral relations and explore avenues for collaboration on issues such as immigration, trade, investment, and cultural exchange.
2. Panic As Explosions Rock Maiduguri
Several explosions were reported on Monday evening in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, sending residents into panic across different parts of the city.
According to Vanguard, sources within the city said the blasts occurred between about 6:45 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., with loud sounds heard in multiple locations, raising fears of a possible security incident.
Residents said the explosions were heard around major areas of the city, including the popular Monday Market, Kaleri, the Post Office area and the vicinity of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital.
Witnesses described the blasts as loud and sudden, causing widespread fear among people in the affected neighbourhoods.
Some residents reportedly abandoned their activities and hurriedly left the area in search of safety.
The situation reportedly created tension in parts of the city as residents attempted to confirm the cause of the blasts.
3. Nigeria’s Inflation Rate Falls To 15.06%
Nigeria’s headline inflation rate recorded a marginal decline to 15.06 per cent in February 2026, according to the latest Consumer Price Index report released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
The statistics agency disclosed that the February figure represents a slight drop of 0.04 percentage points when compared with the 15.10 per cent recorded in January 2026.
The report indicates that while inflation eased slightly on a year-on-year basis, the cost of goods and services rose faster on a month-on-month basis.
According to the NBS, the headline inflation rate for February 2026 was significantly lower compared with the same period last year.
The bureau noted that the latest figure was 11.21 percentage points lower than the 26.27 per cent recorded in February 2025.
4. NRC Gives Update, Confirms Passengers Injured In Abuja-Kaduna Train Accident
The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has confirmed a train accident on Monday morning, which affected passengers aboard the Kaduna–Abuja train service.
The confirmation was given by the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation, Kayode Opeifa, in a statement on Monday.
Recall that Naija News had earlier reported that a passenger train travelling from Kaduna to Abuja on Monday was involved in an accident after a collision incident along the rail corridor.
Confirming the incident, Opeifa said several passengers were injured following a train incident near Asham Train Station on the Abuja-Kaduna line on Monday morning.
According to him, the accident occurred at about 10:30 a.m. and involved a rear locomotive making contact with the passenger coach immediately behind it due to a coupling issue.
Opeifa confirmed that the injured passengers were promptly attended to and transported to nearby medical facilities for proper care.
Naija News reports that no fatalities were recorded as a result of the accident.
The NRC boss also disclosed that emergency response protocols were immediately activated, and relevant technical teams were mobilized to the site.
According to him, the Safety Investigation Bureau is also on site to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident, in line with established safety procedures.
5. ‘You Are Clearly Delusional’ – PDP Fires Back At APC Chieftain, Morka
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has slammed the National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Felix Morka, over claims that the opposition party is no longer a political party.
Naija News reports that Morka, during an interview on ARISE Television, said the PDP can no longer effectively function as a political party due to its internal crisis.
In response, the PDP, in a statement through its National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, titled ‘Morka’s Statement on PDP: Unfortunate and Delusional’, accused the APC of daily ruining the country and the citizens.
Ememobong said that Nigerians have consistently rejected the APC, despite its large-scale defections secured by force and inducement.
The PDP chieftain maintained that the recent disruption of the City Boys event in Owerri is a foreshadowing of what awaits all members of APC across the country.
6. Defecting Governors Believe Tinubu Can Give Them Power – Salihu
A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Ladan Salihu, has stated that governors defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC) are trying to secure their future.
Speaking during an appearance on Arise Television, Salihu stated that some governors believe that President Bola Tinubu can guarantee their political victory.
He, however, warned that mass defections by governors do not always guarantee electoral victory, urging the politicians to rely on the support that first brought them to office.
Salihu questioned why some governors would abandon the parties under which they were elected to join the ruling party.
7. They Said Asiwaju Killed My Child – Remi Surutu
Nollywood actress Remilekun Oshodi, popularly known as Remi Surutu, has revealed how trolls blamed her for the death of her daughter while campaigning for President Bola Tinubu in 2023.
Speaking at the official launch of EKO57, a Lagos-based support group for Tinubu’s campaign on Sunday, Oshodi stated that despite the backlash she experienced in 2023, she is ready to campaign for Tinubu again.
The thespian boasted that she is not scared and dared anyone who does not believe in Tinubu to bring someone from their family to rule the nation.
8. My Hard-Earned Money – Chike Cries Out After Lady Allegedly Dupes Him Of $20,000
Popular Nigerian singer Chike Ezekpeazu has accused a social media user, Chioma Nneoma Ochibili, of scamming him of $20,000.
Naija News reports that the singer revealed on Monday that he gave the amount to Chioma for a business deal, but she allegedly failed to deliver as promised.
Chike said he realized too late that he might have been defrauded.
He urged his followers to avoid doing business with Chioma, warning that others could be at risk.
The singer added that the details of the business are not the main issue, but rather that the business might not even exist, which he claims amounts to fraud.
He also shared that he has started steps to recover the money he allegedly lost.
So far, Chioma Nneoma Ochibili has not responded to the allegations.
9. English FA Fines, Bans Chelsea Over Financial Rule Breaches
The English Football Association has fined Chelsea FC £10.75 million and handed them a suspended transfer ban after breaching financial regulations during the ownership era of Roman Abramovich.
The sanctions follow a lengthy probe by the Premier League into undisclosed payments linked to player transfers between 2011 and 2018.
League officials confirmed the club also received a nine-month academy transfer ban. In addition, a one-year first-team transfer ban has been imposed but suspended for two years.
Investigators examined several payments made to offshore companies connected to transfers. At least six of those transactions were flagged as suspicious during the investigation.
The seven-figure payments were not included in financial documents submitted by the club to football authorities at the time.
Transfers believed to be part of the probe include deals involving Eden Hazard, Samuel Eto’o and Andreas Christensen.
The irregularities surfaced during the due diligence process when a consortium led by Todd Boehly completed the takeover of the London club in 2022.
10. Joan Laporta Re-Elected FC Barcelona President
Joan Laporta has pledged that FC Barcelona will be “unstoppable” after securing a fresh five-year mandate as the club’s president.
Joan Laporta, 63, won just over 68 per cent of the vote in the presidential election and will begin his new term on 1 July, the La Liga club confirmed on Sunday.
Laporta’s main challenger, Victor Font, secured close to 30 per cent of the votes, while the rest were declared void or invalid.
Laporta, who first took office in March 2021 for his current spell, had stepped down last month in line with club rules to contest the election again.
Reacting to the result, he described the victory as decisive.