The Nigerian Police Force has reacted to a viral video of a school-aged girl smoking what appears to be cannabis.
In the viral video, the girl is spotted smoking while her classmates cheer her on.
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, the Force, in a statement by its Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, stated that a preliminary investigation into the video’s origin suggests that it did not originate in Nigeria, with multiple indicators pointing towards its likely origin in Zimbabwe.
The statement reads in part, “The evidence supporting this conclusion includes the language spoken within the video. 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. 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.
“We urge the public to exercise caution when sharing unverified information, particularly when it involves sensitive content and carries the potential to negatively impact individuals, organisations, and entire communities. The Force strongly encourages responsible sharing of information and thorough verification of sources before amplifying potentially harmful claims.”