The Lagos State Government says it will institute legal proceedings against an X user accused of sharing a misleading video falsely claiming to show flooding in Lagos, maintaining that deleting the post after it was debunked does not exempt the individual from prosecution.

The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, disclosed this in a series of posts on X on Tuesday.

According to Wahab, the video shared by the user, identified on the platform as “Enugu Loudspeaker (#Jamessucre2),” was not recorded in Lagos but originated from Bangladesh.

He urged social media users to verify the authenticity and source of information before sharing it, warning that the spread of inaccurate content could mislead the public and undermine genuine conversations about issues affecting the state.

Wahab said the removal of the post after it had been exposed as false would not prevent the government from pursuing legal action.

He maintained that those who deliberately disseminate false information must be held accountable in accordance with the law.

The commissioner added that while the Lagos State Government recognises and respects citizens’ right to freedom of expression, such rights must be exercised responsibly and within the limits of the law.

According to him, the deliberate spread of false information not only undermines government efforts but also weakens the credibility of legitimate complaints raised by residents.

Following the government’s clarification, the X user acknowledged that the footage did not originate from Nigeria and confirmed that the post had been deleted.

Despite the retraction, the Lagos State Government reiterated that it would proceed with legal action over what it described as the deliberate dissemination of false and misleading information.