Presidency Denies Viral Claim of Plot to Poison Tinubu at State House

The Presidency has dismissed as false a viral social media claim alleging that a member of the State House kitchen staff was arrested for attempting to poison President Bola Tinubu.

Presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga rejected the report in a post on X, saying there was no such arrest and no poisoning attempt involving kitchen personnel in Aso Rock.

“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.

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Tope Ajayi, also dismissed the allegation when contacted, describing it as fake.

The denials came after a video and related claims circulated online, alleging that an unnamed chef attached to the State House had been detained over an assassination plot. The posts spread quickly across social media platforms, drawing speculation and concern in some quarters.

However, no official record from security agencies supported the claim, and no evidence was presented to establish that an arrest or security breach occurred at the Presidential Villa.

The Presidency said the report lacked credible sourcing and verifiable details, and urged the public to avoid amplifying unconfirmed security rumours.

The incident highlights ongoing concerns about misinformation during periods of heightened political attention, especially when fabricated security stories are packaged as breaking news.

Public communication analysts have repeatedly warned that false claims involving national institutions can trigger unnecessary panic, damage trust and distract from verified public-interest reporting.

With the latest clarification, the Presidency’s position is that the allegation is entirely unfounded. Officials are advising citizens to verify sensitive claims through established news platforms and official channels before sharing.

For government communicators, the priority remains rapid rebuttal of false stories that can spread at speed online. In this case, the Presidency said the facts are straightforward: no staff member was arrested and no plot to poison the President was detected.