Viral Clip of Girl Smoking: Zimbabwe, Not Nigeria—Police Set Records Straight

The Nigeria Police Force has debunked a viral video showing schoolgirls allegedly smoking cannabis in Nigeria, confirming that the footage actually originated from Zimbabwe.

In a statement issued earlier today, Force Public Relations Officer ACP Muyiwa Adejobi clarified that the video was first shared on Instagram by the Zimbabwe-based account @rusape_celebs_tv. The original post included captions written in Shona, a native Zimbabwean language, confirming the incident took place in the town of Rusape.

Adejobi urged Nigerians to avoid spreading unverified content online, especially material that could spark outrage or damage reputations.

“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.

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, 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.

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.

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Critically, no Nigerian languages or discernable Nigerian accents are present in the audio.”

Adejobi urged Nigerians to avoid spreading unverified content online, especially material that could spark outrage or damage reputations.

“We advise the public to be responsible and verify information before sharing, particularly when it concerns sensitive matters that can affect individuals, institutions, or communities,” he said.