On a Sunday afternoon, when rumours can spread like ripples from a pebble thrown into still water, a claim emerged online suggesting danger at the heart of Nigeria’s seat of power. Whispered through social media and wrapped in urgency, the allegation told of a kitchen staff member at the Presidential Villa in Abuja arrested for an attempt to poison President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Yet, as quickly as the shadow was cast, the light of official clarification dispelled it.
From the corridors of Aso Rock, the presidency spoke — not in raised voices, but with steady, unambiguous words. In a post on his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, urged the public to set aside the circulating video and its narrative. There was no arrest, no attempt, no plot uncovered within the villa’s kitchens, he said. It was, he told the nation, simply fake news.
Moments later, another senior aide reinforced the message in a brief conversation with journalists — a terse but clear dismissal of the claim as false. This coordinated response came after a video report gained traction online, accompanied by descriptions of security operatives acting on unidentified intelligence. The footage was shared widely, prompting speculation and concern among those unfamiliar with the facts.
In sweeping away the fog of misinformation, official voices appealed for calm and attentiveness to verified channels of communication. They reminded the public that in an age of rapid information and even faster rumors, truth often arrives more quietly, borne on the weight of evidence and the credibility of sources.
No security agency has confirmed any arrest or investigation related to the claim. Instead, the presidency’s statement stands as the authoritative response: the allegation of a poisoning attempt at the Presidential Villa is baseless.
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Sources list (media names only):
The Nation Newspaper The Whistler Punch Nigeria The Cable Nigeria Vanguard Nigeria
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