The Nigeria Police Force has addressed a viral video making rounds on WhatsApp and other social media platforms, which shows a school-aged girl smoking what appears to be cannabis while being cheered on by classmates.
Contrary to widespread assumptions, the police have confirmed that the video did not originate in Nigeria.
In a statement released on Thursday, the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, stated that preliminary investigations suggest the footage likely originated from Zimbabwe.
“The attention of the Nigeria Police Force has been drawn to a disturbing video circulating on WhatsApp and social media, showing a young girl, presumed to be of school age, smoking a substance suspected to be cannabis while surrounded by cheering peers,” the statement read.
The footage sparked concern among Nigerian parents, educators, and the general public, with many initially believing it depicted students in a Nigerian school and raising alarms over youth indiscipline and drug abuse.
However, linguistic and digital evidence tells a different story. The individuals in the video are heard speaking both English and Shona—a language commonly spoken in Zimbabwe and other parts of southern Africa. Notably, there are no Nigerian languages or accents in the audio.
Further investigation also traced the original post to an Instagram account, @rusape_celebs_tv, which the police identified as being based in Rusape, Zimbabwe. The caption accompanying the video was also written in Shona.
Given these findings, the Nigeria Police Force is urging the public to verify information before sharing it online.
“Sharing unverified content, especially of sensitive nature, can cause harm to individuals, institutions, and society at large,” ACP Adejobi warned. “We advise Nigerians to exercise caution and responsibility when posting or forwarding such material.”
