President Bola Tinubu”s media office has reacted to a trending report about an alleged arrest of a staff member of the Aso Villa kitchen over an alleged attempt to poison President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Bayo Onanuga, the President’s spokesperson, labeled the report as fake news and urged the public to disregard it.
Onanuga dismissed the claim in a statement on his X account on Sunday, describing the report as fake. “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,” Onanuga said.
The fake news, which started trending on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and X, earlier on Sunday, was fueled by a 90-second video which had become viral.
The footage, a montage of unrelated scenes, including kitchen preparations, meetings with individuals in traditional attire, and vehicles arriving at a government building, features a voiceover narrating a story of an alleged security breach.
In the video, the narrator claims: “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.
“According to preliminary information from security sources, the arrest followed intelligence alerts suggesting suspicious activities connected to food preparation procedures within restricted areas linked to presidential operations.
“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.
“Officials emphasized that the operation was carried out professionally and discreetly to avoid public panic while ensuring that all potential risks were neutralised.
“The suspect, identified as a member of kitchen staff attached to presidential services, was reportedly taken into custody for questioning as investigators began examining evidence and verifying claims connected to the alleged poisoning attempt
“Security agencies have urged the public to remain calm, stressing that the investigation remains ongoing and that allegations do not automatically imply guilt until due process.”
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