Nigeria’s government to investigate Simi’s controversial old tweets
The Nigerian government is looking into the controversy surrounding singer Simi after old tweets resurfaced, allegedly from her time at her mom's daycare.
The development comes after several Nigerians called for an investigation and possible prosecution over comments the singer allegedly made more than a decade ago.
Over the past few days, screenshots of tweets attributed to Simi began circulating online. The posts, reportedly made during her early days on social media, referenced her experiences while working at her mum’s daycare centre.
As the posts gained traction, some netizens demanded that relevant authorities step in to examine the matter more closely.
Amid the growing conversation, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) in Nigeria has responded.
In a statement released today, February 24, NAPTIP addressed the public concerns. The agency noted that it is committed to investigating credible reports related to alleged misconduct in daycare settings. “Following recent public discussions and concerns raised regarding alleged incidents of child sexual *buse/misconduct in daycare settings in Nigeria, we are committed to thoroughly investigating credible reports,” the statement read. NAPTIP further urged anyone with factual information, direct knowledge, or evidence connected to the viral posts to reach out confidentially.
In her defense, Simi emphasised that the tweets, were written when she was 23 and hustling her music career while helping out at her mother’s daycare, were innocent reflections of daily life rather than anything perverse. (Read Simi responds to online criticism: "I've never been depraved!")
She stressed that her words had been twisted to fit false narratives and that she has never been depraved in her life.
She also addressed how her fame now exposes her past actions to broad interpretation, explaining that she never intended to hide her personality or the fact that she was a young woman expressing herself openly.
Simi added that some of her older tweets were being deleted by her team due to the sensitivity for her family, though she had initially been reluctant to remove them.
In her statement, Simi said, “I haven’t been on Twitter today – but someone brought a few of my old tweets to my attention and I can’t not address it. 14 years ago, I was 23, so I was definitely not a child. I’m not here to make excuses because I don’t have anything to make excuses for. What I can’t let anyone do is twist my story to fit false narratives.
Actor Deyemi Okanlawon has publicly supported Simi as controversy continues to trail her comments on rape, stating that calls to end sexual violence against women should not be met with deflection.
Taking to X, on Monday, Deyemi wrote: “When women say ‘STOP rap*ng women’… Your response cannot be ‘what abt men/children’ neither can it be ‘what abt false accusers’ nor anything else. Your reply MUST only be YES!!! You can start your own separate conversation about anything else at another time/place.” (Related article: Deyemi Okanlawon defends Simi, says anti-rape message shouldn’t be deflected)
