By Abdulraheem Kawthar Adenike | Fact Frontier.
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The Nigerian Presidency has officially debunked viral social media reports claiming that a cook in the Presidential Villa, Aso Rock, was arrested over an alleged plot to poison President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Describing the story as completely baseless, top presidential aides have urged the public to ignore the fabricated narrative circulating online.
The false reports emerged over the weekend from a video that gained significant traction on various social media platforms. The video’s narration alleged that security operatives had arrested a senior chef following intelligence about suspicious activities in the kitchen area designated for the First Family. It further claimed that a special police squad had been deployed and that an investigation was underway regarding an attempt to contaminate the President’s food.
However, in a swift reaction on Sunday, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, took to his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle to issue a firm and unequivocal denial. He explicitly stated that there was no truth to the allegations, which he tagged as a fabrication designed to cause panic.
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,Mr. Onanuga wrote, directly addressing the source of the misinformation.
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Echoing this sentiment, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, also confirmed that the reports were unfounded. In a statement on his official channels, Mr. Ajayi described the trending video as “fake and totally unfounded,” and called on members of the public to disregard it entirely, assuring that the President’s safety was not and had not been under any such threat.
The swift and coordinated denial from two key figures in the President’s media team underscores the administration’s effort to combat misinformation regarding the security and wellbeing of the nation’s leader. The reports had sparked a flurry of reactions online, with many calling for clarification from official sources.
Security at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa is known to be extremely tight, with multiple layers of screening for personnel, visitors, and supplies. The kitchen and food preparation areas are considered high-security zones, subject to rigorous protocols that would make any alleged plot of this nature highly improbable, according to security experts.
The Presidency’s rebuttal aligns with its broader stance against the spread of unverified information, which it argues can undermine public trust and create unnecessary tension. Officials have consistently urged Nigerians to rely on verified updates from recognized government communication channels rather than unconfirmed social media content.
As of the time of this report, no security agency, including the Nigeria Police Force or the Department of State Services (DSS), has issued any statement regarding such an incident, further lending credence to the Presidency’s position that the story is a complete fabrication. The administration has vowed to continue engaging with the public to clarify falsehoods and maintain transparency regarding the President’s safety and the orderly functioning of government.
