The Presidency on Sunday dismissed widespread social media reports alleging that a member of the kitchen staff at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa was arrested for attempting to poison President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, describing the claims as false and misleading.
The rebuttal was issued by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who addressed the viral video circulating online and categorically denied the allegations.
The video, which purportedly showed scenes from inside the presidential villa, featured a narrated account claiming that a presidential chef had been arrested over an alleged poisoning plot targeting the president.
The narration further alleged that security agencies had launched an emergency operation following intelligence reports of suspicious activities linked to food preparation within restricted presidential areas.
According to the claims made in the footage, a special police squad was said to have intervened after receiving what were described as credible security alerts, leading to the alleged detention of a kitchen staff member for questioning while investigations commenced.
However, responding directly to the allegations, Onanuga rejected the claims, stating that no such incident occurred at the Presidential Villa.
“No Aso Rock kitchen staff arrested. No Aso Rock kitchen staff attempted to poison President Tinubu. Please ignore this fake news being disseminated by this video,” he wrote on his verified X account.
Also reacting, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, described the viral report as entirely fabricated and urged Nigerians to disregard it.
“The trending video about a poison attempt on President Tinubu and arrest of an Aso Villa cook is fake and totally unfounded. There is no truth to it. It should be disregarded,” Ajayi said.
The Presidency’s response comes amid growing concerns over the spread of misinformation on social media platforms, particularly involving sensitive security matters related to national leadership.
Officials urged members of the public to verify information through credible sources and avoid sharing unconfirmed reports capable of causing unnecessary panic or confusion.
