The Presidency has firmly dismissed viral social media reports alleging that kitchen staff at the Presidential Villa were arrested over a supposed plot to poison President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, described the claims as baseless and urged Nigerians to disregard the circulating video.
The now-viral clip, which surfaced online over the weekend, purported to show activity within Aso Rock Presidential Villa and was accompanied by a voiceover alleging that a presidential chef had been arrested over an attempted poisoning.
The narration claimed that the arrest followed intelligence reports of suspicious food preparation activities in restricted areas of the Villa and suggested that a special police squad had intervened to neutralise a potential threat.
It further alleged that a member of the kitchen staff had been taken into custody for questioning and that security agencies were conducting an ongoing investigation.
Reacting via his official X account, Onanuga categorically refuted the report.
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 stated.
The Presidency did not provide additional details regarding the source of the video or the motive behind its circulation but maintained that the claims were entirely fabricated.
The development underscores growing concerns over the spread of misinformation on social media, particularly regarding matters of national security and the presidency.
With the latest denial, the Presidency has sought to reassure the public that no such security breach or arrest occurred within the Presidential Villa.
