The Presidency of Nigeria on Sunday dismissed a viral video alleging that a chef attached to the Presidential Villa was arrested for attempting to poison Bola Tinubu, calling the report false.
The video, which circulated widely on social media over the weekend, claimed that security operatives had apprehended a member of the presidential kitchen staff following supposed intelligence of suspicious activities related to food preparation within restricted areas of the Villa. It further suggested that a special police squad had been deployed and security heightened around the presidential environment.
They have tried every possible means to remove @officialABAT, yet they have continued to fail.
They ganged up against him, they failed.
They allegedly plotted against him, they failed.
They tried to manipulate him and called him all sorts of names, they failed.
Now, poisoning… pic.twitter.com/LNqLaFIlZH
— Àlúbàríkà 🇳🇬 (@Iyoaiye_) March 1, 2026
Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, described the video as “fake news,” stressing that the story was entirely fabricated. He urged the public to rely on official communication channels for verified information and warned against spreading unsubstantiated reports that could cause unnecessary panic.
“The story circulating is false. Please disregard it and rely on official sources for updates regarding the President and the State House,” Onanuga said.
The viral allegation comes a few months after some military personnel were arrested over an alleged plot to topple the government.
Sources indicate that a staff member of Julius Berger Nigeria PLC, assigned to the presidential wing of the State House, was among those questioned to explain involvement in the purported coup plot. The employee, who works in the electrical department and hails from a South-South state, was deployed to the State House in 2022.
A Julius Berger staff, speaking on condition of anonymity, told reporters:
“I don’t know what should have been the attraction for him to get involved in such a serious issue. He is just new in the State House. Some of us have stayed long here and we can’t stay where such a discussion is going on, what more of being involved.”
Officials emphasize that the staff’s presence at the State House is routine and that claims linking him to any poisoning attempt are entirely unfounded.
