The Nigeria Police Force has debunked claims that a viral video showing a school-aged girl smoking what appears to be cannabis, while being cheered by classmates, originated in Nigeria.
The video, which has been widely shared on WhatsApp and other social media platforms, has raised significant concern among parents.
Its caption had suggested it took place within a Nigerian school.
The video depicts a young girl in a school uniform, appearing to smoke cannabis, while surrounded by her peers who are cheering her on.
Advertisement
The setting appears to be a classroom or school environment, raising alarms about drug abuse and discipline among students.
In a statement, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the NPF PRO, stated that preliminary investigations strongly suggest the video originated from Zimbabwe.
Adejobi cited multiple indicators supporting this conclusion, including the languages spoken in the video.
Advertisement
Individuals in the footage are heard speaking both English and Shona, a language predominantly spoken in Zimbabwe and parts of Southern Africa.
He stressed that “critically, no Nigerian languages or discernible Nigerian accents are present in the audio”.
Adejobi revealed that the original upload of the video was accompanied by a caption written in Shona and was initially posted on the Instagram channel “@rusape_celebs_tv”, a channel demonstrably based in Rusape, Zimbabwe.
The force urged the public to exercise caution when sharing unverified information, particularly sensitive content that could negatively impact individuals, organisations, and entire communities.
Advertisement
Adejobi encouraged responsible sharing of information and thorough verification of sources before amplifying potentially harmful claims.
