FG Dismisses Viral Claim of Plot to Poison Tinubu

FG Dismisses Viral Claim of Plot to Poison Tinubu

The Federal Government has dismissed as false a viral social media report alleging that kitchen staff at the Presidential Villa were arrested over a plot to poison President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, refuted the claim in a post on his Facebook page on Sunday.

“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 wrote.

The rumour had gained traction earlier in the day following the circulation of a 90-second video across Facebook, Instagram and X. The clip featured a voiceover alleging a “shocking arrest of a presidential chef over an alleged plot to poison President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”

In the video, the narrator claimed the arrest followed “intelligence alerts suggesting suspicious activities connected to food preparation procedures within restricted areas linked to presidential operations.”

It further alleged that “authorities moved quickly after receiving credible reports that indicated a possible threat to the safety of the president,” adding that the suspect was “taken into custody for questioning as investigators began examining evidence and verifying claims connected to the alleged poisoning attempt.”

However, the footage used in the video showed unrelated scenes, including kitchen activities, meetings and vehicles arriving at a government building, with no verifiable link to the claims made in the narration.

Despite the dramatic tone of the video, no security agency confirmed any such incident at the Presidential Villa.

Onanuga insisted the story was fabricated and urged members of the public to disregard it.

The government’s swift denial comes amid increasing concerns over the spread of misinformation online, particularly stories relating to national security and the presidency.