Onanuga: There Was No Attempt To Poison Tinubu

The Presidency has debunked viral social media claims alleging that a member of the kitchen staff at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa was arrested for attempting to poison President Bola Tinubu.

The denial was issued on Sunday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who shared the circulating video on his verified X account and described its contents as entirely false.

The video, which shows scenes purportedly from the presidential villa, features a voiceover narrating an alleged security breach involving a presidential chef.

In the footage, 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.”

Responding directly to the allegations, Onanuga dismissed the claims as fabricated.

“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.

Also reacting, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, said the video was entirely unfounded.

“The trending video about a poison attempt on President Tinubu and arrest of an Aso Villa cook is fake and totally unfounded. There is no truth to it. It should be disregarded,” he said.