The Nigeria Police Force has responded to a viral video circulating on WhatsApp and other social media platforms, which showed a school-aged girl smoking what looked like cannabis while her classmates cheered her on. The video, shared with captions claiming it happened in a Nigerian school, has caused panic among parents and the general public.

In an official press release dated 19th June 2025, the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, stated that investigations show the video likely originated from Zimbabwe, not Nigeria.

?Our preliminary investigation into its origin strongly suggests that the video did not originate in Nigeria,? said ACP Adejobi. ?Multiple indicators point towards Zimbabwe as the source.?

He explained that the language spoken in the video is a mix of English and Shona, which is commonly used in Zimbabwe and parts of southern Africa. ?Critically, no Nigerian languages or discernable Nigerian accents are present in the audio,? he noted.

Another important clue was the Instagram account that first posted the video. According to the police, the video was originally shared on @rusape_celebs_tv, a channel based in Rusape, a town in Zimbabwe. The caption that came with the upload was also written in Shona.

The Nigeria Police Force urged Nigerians to stop spreading the video and warned against sharing unverified content. ?We urge the public to exercise caution when sharing unverified information,? ACP Adejobi stressed, adding that misleading content could harm individuals, organizations, and entire communities.

The Force encouraged everyone to verify information before reposting, especially when dealing with sensitive topics. (Daily Sun, but headline rejigged)

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