By Our Reporter
The Presidency has dismissed viral social media reports alleging that kitchen staff at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa were arrested over a purported plot to poison President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Mr Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, refuted the claim in a post on his official X (formerly Twitter) account on Sunday.
The circulating video, which purportedly showed activity within the Presidential Villa, featured a voiceover alleging that a presidential chef had been arrested over an attempted poisoning, prompting intervention by a special police squad and heightened security measures.
The narration claimed the arrest followed intelligence alerts suggesting suspicious activities related to food preparation in restricted areas connected to presidential operations. It further alleged that security agencies launched a coordinated investigation after receiving reports of a possible threat to the President’s safety.
According to the video, the suspect—described as a member of the kitchen staff attached to presidential services—was taken into custody for questioning while investigators examined evidence related to the alleged plot. It also claimed that authorities conducted the operation discreetly to prevent public panic and urged citizens to remain calm as investigations continued.
However, Onanuga categorically dismissed the report as false.
“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.
As of press time, authorities have not provided additional details regarding the source of the video or the motive behind its circulation.
