Former presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, has revealed that the widely circulated 2017 story about rats invading the Presidential Villa was a deliberate fabrication aimed at diverting public attention from President Muhammadu Buhari’s health challenges at the time.

Shehu made the disclosure in his newly released book, “According to the President: Lessons from a Presidential Spokesperson’s Experience.” In Chapter 10, titled “Rats, Spin and All That,” he recounted how intense media scrutiny followed Buhari’s return to Nigeria after a prolonged medical leave, especially after fellow media aide Bashir Ahmad announced the President would be working from home.

Shehu said, “With reporters wanting to know more, the number of calls increased, noting that even BBC Hausa queried him on the type of rats capable of damaging Villa infrastructure.

To deflect pressure, Shehu said he spun a narrative referencing "strange rats" similar to those allegedly encountered in Nigeria during the 1980s rice importation era.

 “I wanted the discussion to shift… to any other issue besides the President’s health and ability to continue in office,” Shehu stated.

However, he admitted that both Information Minister Lai Mohammed and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo disagreed with his strategy, considering it poorly judged.

The admission has reignited debates around transparency in government communication and the ethics of media manipulation by public officials.