The Presidency has dismissed as false and misleading viral claims alleging that a member of the kitchen staff at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, was arrested over a plot to poison President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, debunked the allegation on Sunday through his verified X account. He shared the circulating video and categorically denied its content.
The viral footage, which purportedly shows scenes from the Presidential Villa, features a narrated claim that a chef within the presidential complex was apprehended in connection with an alleged poisoning attempt targeting the president.
In the video, the narrator alleged that the supposed arrest followed intelligence reports of suspicious activities related to food preparation in restricted areas of the Villa. It further claimed that a special police squad intervened swiftly and that heightened security measures were implemented to safeguard the president.
The narration also stated that the suspect was taken into custody for questioning while investigators examined evidence linked to the alleged plot. It added that authorities handled the matter discreetly to prevent public panic and urged citizens to remain calm as investigations were said to be ongoing.
However, responding to the claims, Onanuga firmly rejected the story, describing it as fake news.
“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 the time of filing this report, there has been no official indication regarding the origin of the video or the motive behind the circulation of the unfounded
