The Nigeria Police Force has addressed public concern over a viral video showing a school-aged girl smoking what appears to be cannabis.
Contrary to widespread assumptions that the video was recorded in Nigeria, police authorities have clarified that it actually originated in Zimbabwe.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Muyiwa Adejobi, cautioned the public against spreading unverified information.
“The attention of the Nigeria Police Force has been drawn to a deeply concerning video currently circulating on WhatsApp and other social media platforms, depicting a school-aged girl smoking what appears to be cannabis, surrounded and cheered on by her classmates,” Adejobi said.
“The video has been widely shared with captions suggesting the incident occurred within a Nigerian school, prompting significant concern and anxiety amongst Nigerian parents and the wider community.”
However, according to preliminary findings from police investigations, the footage is not linked to Nigeria.
Adejobi said multiple pieces of evidence point toward Zimbabwe as the likely source of the video.
“However, a preliminary investigation into its origin strongly suggests that the video did not originate in Nigeria, with multiple indicators pointing towards the video’s likely origin being in Zimbabwe,” he explained.
One of the key indicators, he said, was the language used in the video.
“The evidence supporting this conclusion includes the language spoken within the video,” Adejobi continued.
“Individuals featured are heard speaking in both English and Shona, the latter being a language predominantly spoken in Zimbabwe and parts of southern Africa. Critically, no Nigerian languages or discernable Nigerian accents are present in the audio.”
He also pointed to the platform on which the video first surfaced.
“Furthermore, the original upload of the video was accompanied by a caption written in Shona, with its initial posting on the Instagram channel @rusape_celebs_tv, a channel which is demonstrably based in the town of Rusape, Zimbabwe.”
The Police spokesperson urged Nigerians to verify the authenticity of sensitive content before sharing it online.
“We urge the public to exercise caution when sharing unverified information, particularly when it involves sensitive content and carries the potential to impact individuals, organizations, and entire communities negatively.”
“The Force strongly encourages responsible sharing of information and thorough verification of sources before amplifying potentially harmful claims,” Adejobi concluded.
