The Presidency has refuted viral social media reports alleging that members of the kitchen staff at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa were arrested over an alleged attempt to poison President Bola Tinubu.
Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, dismissed the claims on Sunday via his verified X account, describing the report as entirely false.
The widely circulated video purported to show activities within the presidential villa, accompanied by narration claiming security operatives arrested a presidential chef linked to an alleged poisoning plot.
The voiceover alleged, “Today we examine reports surrounding the shocking arrest of a presidential chef over an alleged plot to poison President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, an incident that has prompted swift intervention by a special police squad and triggered heightened security measures within the presidential environment.”
It further claimed that security agencies acted following intelligence indicating suspicious conduct related to food preparation within restricted presidential facilities.
According to the narration, “Authorities moved quickly after receiving credible reports that indicated a possible threat to the safety of the president, leading to a coordinated investigation involving specialised security personnel tasked with protecting national leadership.”
The video also suggested that the operation was carried out discreetly to prevent panic, adding that a kitchen staff member had been detained for questioning while investigations continued.
However, Onanuga firmly rejected the narrative, insisting that no such incident occurred at the presidential residence.
He wrote, “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.”
As of the time of reporting, authorities have not disclosed the source of the misleading footage or the motive behind its circulation online.
