Nigeria Police Link Schoolgirl Cannabis Clip to Zimbabwe

The Nigeria Police Force has addressed a widely circulated video on WhatsApp and social media, which shows a school-aged girl smoking what seems to be cannabis while her peers encourage her. 

Contrary to popular belief, the police state that the footage did not originate from Nigeria.

In a statement released on Thursday, Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, clarified that initial investigations have indicated "multiple signs suggesting that the video likely comes from Zimbabwe."

The statement read, "The attention of the Nigeria Police Force has been drawn to a troubling video that is currently being shared on WhatsApp and other social media platforms, showing a school-aged girl smoking what appears to be cannabis, with her classmates cheering her on.

The video has raised concern among Nigerian parents and educators, as it was initially assumed to show students from a Nigerian school, fuelling fears about increased misconduct and drug use among the youth." However, the police assert that linguistic evidence disproves this assumption.

"Those in the video can be heard speaking in both English and Shona, the latter being a language mainly spoken in Zimbabwe and parts of southern Africa. Importantly, no Nigerian languages or discernible Nigerian accents are present in the audio," the statement noted.

Additional evidence came from the digital trace linked to the video's spread.

 According to the police, the original upload "was posted with a caption written in Shona, and was first shared on the Instagram account @rusape_celebs_tv, which is clearly based in Rusape, Zimbabwe."

Given these findings, the Nigeria Police Force has urged the public to avoid sharing unverified content.

The statement cautioned that doing so "could adversely affect individuals, organizations, and entire communities." 

"We encourage the public to be careful when sharing unverified information, especially concerning sensitive topics," Adejobi stated.