The Lagos State Government is planning to sue a user on X for sharing a false flood video linked to the state.
Tokunbo Wahab, the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, announced this in posts on X on Tuesday. He said deleting the post after it was proven false will not protect the user from facing legal action.
“Taking down the post after misleading the public does not absolve you of the responsibility. Appropriate legal action will still be pursued, and this matter will be taken to its logical conclusion in accordance with the law,” Wahab stated.
Wahab explained that the video shared by the user, known as “Enugu Loudspeaker (#Jamessucre2),” did not come from Lagos.
“The flood video you shared and attributed to Lagos State is actually from Bangladesh. We kindly encourage you to verify the authenticity and origin of such content before sharing it, as the dissemination of inaccurate information can mislead the public and undermine genuine discussions about issues affecting Lagos,” he said.
He emphasized that while the government values citizens’ freedom of expression, it must be done responsibly.
“While we acknowledge and respect everyone’s right to freedom of expression, it is important to recognize that every right comes with corresponding responsibilities and legal limits,” he added.
Wahab also said, “The deliberate dissemination of false information and misleading narratives not only undermines the efforts of the Lagos State Government but also diminishes the credibility of genuine complaints raised by well-meaning residents.”
After the government’s statement, the X user admitted that the video was not from Nigeria and removed the post.
“It’s been confirmed to have happened outside the country. The post has been taken down,” the user wrote.
Even with the post removed, the Lagos State Government said it would still go ahead with legal action for spreading false information.
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