Saudi Arabia has officially confirmed the sighting of the crescent moon on Tuesday, 17 February 2026, meaning the holy month of Ramadan 1447 AH will begin on Wednesday, 18 February 2026.

The Saudi Supreme Court announced the sighting following verified reports from moon-sighting committees. Consequently, Taraweeh prayers began on Tuesday night across the Kingdom.

A post by @Muslim on X read, “BREAKING: Saudi Arabia announces the first day of fasting for Ramadan to begin on Wednesday, February 18, 2026.

“Taraweeh will begin tonight on the first evening of the blessed month.

“It’s recommended to follow the fasting time designated by your local community and country.”

Muslims in Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and some other parts of the world will begin their first day of fasting at dawn on Wednesday, ushering in a month dedicated to prayer, reflection and devotion.

In Japan, however, Ramadan 2026 will begin on Thursday, February 19. The Hilal Vision Committee confirmed the decision after the crescent moon was not sighted.

Muslims across the country will observe their first fast on Thursday, marking the start of the holy month of fasting and prayer.

Meanwhile, Iran, Oman, Singapore and Turkey have also officially announced that Thursday, February 19, will mark the first day of Ramadan 2026.

The decision was made after the crescent moon was not sighted, in line with their traditional lunar observation processes. Muslims in these countries will begin fasting on Thursday as the holy month commences.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, which has 12 months and lasts 354 or 355 days. Because it follows the lunar cycle, the start date of Ramadan changes every year.

Fasting during Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam and is compulsory for healthy adult Muslims. However, exemptions are granted to young children, the sick, travellers and women who are pregnant, nursing or menstruating.

The sighting of the crescent moon is a long-standing tradition used to determine the beginning of Ramadan and the major Islamic festivals of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.

During the holy month, working hours and school schedules are often shortened in many Muslim-majority countries to allow more time for worship and family activities.

More than 1.8 billion Muslims worldwide are expected to observe the month of fasting from sunrise to sunset each day.

A DSS lead investigator testified at the Federal High Court in Abuja regarding the funding, arming, and mobilization of terrorists for the June 5, 2022, attack on St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Owo.

The witness detailed the roles of the defendants and stated that over 40 people died and more than 100 individuals sustained various injuries.

The prosecution also tendered what it described as a comprehensive investigation report on the incident, in court on Tuesday, which the court admitted in evidence in the absence of objection from the defence.

The witness, who was identified simply as SSI and featured as the ninth prosecution witness (PW9) testified at the resumed hearing in the trial of five men accused of complicity in the attack.

The five men are: Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza (25 years), Al Qasim Idris 20 years), Jamiu Abdulmalik (26 years), Abdulhaleem Idris (25 years) and Momoh Otuho Abubakar (47 years). They are being prosecuted by the DSS.

Led in evidence by prosecuting lawyer, Ayodeji Adedipe (SAN), the witness said he is the Deputy Director in charge of Counter Terrorism Investigation and led the investigation team.

He said his team was mandated to unravel the perpetrators, the cause of the incident, their sponsors and any other findings that may arise .

SSI said: “With that, we proceeded to gather intelligence and also exploited technical resources, which eventually led us to the arrest of five persons in the month of August 2022.

“The arrest occurred both in Kogi and Ondo states and the persons we arrested were Al-Qasim Idris (2nd defendant) and his brother Abdulhalid Idris (4th defendant), then Omaiza Abdulmalik (1st), then his brother, Jamiu Abdulmalik (3rd),” he said, and gave the name of the fifth defendant as Momoh Otuho Abubakar.

The witness added: “Our investigation found out that the persons we arrested were members of Islamic State West African Province (ISWAP), a proscribed terrorist group, who belong to a cell that operated around Okene/Adavi Local Government Area of Kogi State, as well as Omielafa and Omielege in Ose Local Government Area of Ondo State under the coordination of one Odoba.

“Odoba usually hibernate around Ogaminana in Adavi LGA of Kogi State,” he said.

Giving details of how the attack was planned, the witness said: “On the 30th of May, 2022, Odoba called a meeting of some of the group’s members, who are members of his ISWAP cell. They go with alliance, Al-Shabab.

“So on the 30 of May, 2022, they met at the Government Secondary School, Ogaminana where Al-Qasim Idris was present in the meeting and Odoba passed the instruction for them to prepare to attack the Catholic Church Owo.

“And, his instruction was clear that they should attack on Sunday and ensure that they kill the priest. So when Al-Qasim returned to Omilafia, he gathered some of the cell members, including Abdulhalid (4th defendant), his brother, Jamiu (3rd defendant) and all the four were in the meeting, except the 5th defendant.

“There was equally one Kabir, who is a cousin to Al-Qasim and Addulmalik. The meeting was held after the jumaat prayer at the mosque where the Idris bothers’ father is the Chief Iman.

“He (Al-Qasim) told them (those at the meeting) to be prepared for the attack as instructed by Odoba. He only told them they will be getting two other persons to reinforce the team

“The names of these individuals (the other two) are Mohammed and Abdullahi. On Saturday, the next day, being the 4th of June, 2022, Abdulhaleem Idris (4th) travelled to Adavi, where he hired a Volkswagen Golf 3 car.

“He proceeded to lead Odoba, who supported them with five AK47, 10.magazines, rounds of ammunition and improvised explosive devices (IED) for the planned attack,” he said.

The PW9 said by evening of the same day, they all gathered in Abdulhaleem’s house in Omilafia, where Al-Quasim allegedly, reviewed with the others, the attack plan and subsequently engaged in some dry practice.

When asked to explain what he meant by dry practice, the witness said it is the practice done with weapon, without live rounds, to reorient oneself on the safety precaution of the weapons

He added that at the end of the dry practice, they all spent the night in Al-Quasim’s room, adding that on the night of June 4, Al Qasim took a motorbike belonging to his father, which he rode most of the time, to deliver items to Mohammed and Abdullahi, to facilitate their movement for surveillance on the church and also during the attack.

Giving a graphic detail of how the attack was carried out, the witness said: “The next morning, 5th of June, the first to 4th defendants and Kabir, now at large, were driven in the Golf car, with the weapons concealed in sacks, to the church about 8 to 8:30 am.

“They met Abdullahi and Mohammed. The got to the church, removed the sacks and pulled out their weapons. Two of them sat with a woman roasting corn.

“They bought some corns. A young man hawking stuff was observing them. One of them (the attackers) went and whispered to the hawker. When he was about leaving after being whispered to, he was shot dead instantly.

“This triggered chaos in front of the church. In the midst of that, they accosted a man coming from the Deeper Life Bible Church in a Nissan Sunny car. They snatched his car and drove into the church premises.

“Under Al Qasim’s directive, they proceeded in the directions he had told them to take. Abdulhaleem was carrying the bag containing the improvised explosives.

“They shot sporadically in the church’s sanctuary, outside and all over, including worshippers trying to escape.

“Abdulhaleem, who had the bag containing IEDs, detonated at least three explosives. Other attackers engaged the worshippers with gunshots.

“40 people, including women and children, died at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC). 23 were wounded and rushed to the hospital.,” he said.

The witness added that apart from the 40 church members, who were killed, a non-member was the first to be killed by the attackers in front of the church, adding that some of the 40 deceased were taken to the hospital dead.

The prosecution subsequently tendered a medical report, signed by one Dr Ayodeji O.O, in respect of which the witness said: “We have made effort to see how the doctor could come but was not possible.”

The prosecution equally tendered 30 photographs taken from the incident’s scene by investigators, which the court admitted as Exhibit M – M30.

SSI told the court that at the end of the investigation, his team made a comprehensive investigation report.

On whether the fifth defendant played no role, since he spoke extensively about the first four defendants, the witness said it was an oversight that he did not speak about the fifth defendant.

He then proceeded to give details of the role the fifth defendant allegedly played in the whole incident.

The witness said: “Investigation revealed that the 5th defendant worked in tandem with the 1st to 4th defendants .He was operating a Point of Sales (POS) units in five deferent locations.

“About two to three weeks prior to the attack, his account was credited at two different instances with 800k. He used the POS machine to distribute the money to the individuals, who aree members of the Al-Shabab Unit of ISWAP, and the defendants were beneficiaries of this money, with no evidence of business transactions between them.”

PW9 added that technical evidence established that the fifth defendant was in communication with them (the other four), within the period of the attack.

He confirmed that autopsy examination was conducted on some of the dead bodies and a report was generated. The prosecution tendered the report which was admitted in evidence without objection from the defence.

The court also admitted in evidence, the comprehensive investigation report on the attack, which the prosecution tendered through the witness.

The defence lawyer, Abdullahi Mohammad said he would not object to the tendering of the report, but would require time to study it, because it was served on his team few days ago.

He sought an adjornment to enable him study the investigation report before he could cross examine the witness.

In the absence of objection from the prosecuting lawyer, the court adjourned further proceedings till Wednesday, February 18 at 11am.

The Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA) is seeking public assistance to identify and locate a TikTok user known as Mirabel (@mirab351).

The appeal follows a viral video posted on February 15, in which she tearfully recounted being sexually assaulted in her apartment by a stranger.

The agency shared this appeal in a statement on its official social media accounts on Tuesday, confirming active efforts to contact the survivor amid widespread concern.

Following the viral video, the hashtag #StopRapingWomen has taken over X (Formerly Twitter), with thousands of users calling for urgent action against sexual assault and greater protection for survivors.

The survivor, identified as Mirabel (@mirab351 on TikTok), posted on Monday about the assault occurring Sunday, February 15.

She explained suffering from insomnia, drinking to sleep around 6 a.m., then hearing knocks at 9 a.m.

“I thought it was my neighbour… immediately I opened the door, I got pushed back, I hit my head on the fridge and passed out,” she said.

Regaining consciousness, “There is a man over me, there is cloth stuffed in my mouth, I was just there mumbling… it is Sunday, most people had gone to church… Later, he left. I was bleeding… He used a face blade to cut me.”

Mirabel initially mistook the bleeding for her period, but received a message request from the suspect identified as “Priston”, who confessed:

“I’m sure you don’t know me because you decided to close ur eyes even after waking up… we have met twice, and you kept ignoring me… I had to pay boys to stop the empty bike… You complimented the way I speak, and you said I smell nice, but you still refuse to give me ur number.”

He graphically described the attack, her body, using fingers and a blade to “I use the face blade cut you to simulate me being the first person there,” and warned:

“My father has the money to bury the case right before it gets to court… You can’t find me, and you don’t even have the money… You gats dey knack often make man dey pound you cause why you go get baby punani… in the nearest future, maybe 4 to 5 years we would meet again and we would date… I love you, don’t see me as a bad person, okay, you turned me down twice.”

In her most recent video on Tuesday, a crying Mirabel revealed attempting suicide by drinking Sniper toxin, crediting a friend for rushing her to the hospital.

“I am too tired, I can’t respond to the message. I will respond when I get better, thank you,” she stated.

The Lagos Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA) said it had “taken note of the multiple tags and public concerns regarding a video currently circulating on social media,” in which a young woman shared her alleged experience of sexual assault.

The agency emphasised that its team was “actively making efforts to reach the survivor to offer immediate support and appropriate intervention, and ascertain her location.”

It urged the public to assist in the search, adding: “If anyone has credible information that can help us reach her directly and safely, please contact the Agency by sending us a DM on any of our official social media channels.”

DSVA also reaffirmed the Lagos State Government’s commitment to protecting survivors, stating: “Sexual assault is a crime, and every survivor deserves protection, care, support and justice. Reports are treated with utmost confidentiality and urgency.”

For those seeking assistance or wishing to report cases, the agency provided multiple contact channels, including phone numbers 0813-796-0048 and 0-8000-333-333, USSD *6820# (MTN), WhatsApp 0812-893-7058, and its official website at https://ekoselfreport.ng.

The incident comes barely a week after another TikTok user, Fems (@femsbaby_x), reported being raped alongside a friend following a modelling shoot. After sharing her harrowing experience on TikTok, she was able to receive guidance and support to pursue the case.

On February 12, Fems said she was referred to the Ikeja Gender Unit by the daughter of Fuji star Wasiu Ayinde Marshall (K1), Barr. Dami Marshall, who also provided legal assistance after their initial report to another station was ignored.

She added that the case is now “being taken very seriously” and expressed gratitude to the community for their support, while also appealing for financial assistance to help cover legal and related expenses.

Reacting to both incidents, Lagos State Police Command spokesperson SP Abimbola Adebisi said the posts had been forwarded to the Command’s Gender Unit and added, “I have also reached out to her through her TikTok handle. I sincerely hope she responds so as to assist the Police in conducting a thorough investigation.”