Authorities in Lagos have referred a controversy involving Nigerian singer Simi to the police for preliminary investigation, following the circulation of old social media posts attributed to the artist.
The Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency said it could not ignore the allegations after screenshots of tweets, said to date back more than a decade, began trending online.
The debate began after Simi made widely shared comments about sexual violence, calling for stronger action against perpetrators and saying many women she knows have experienced assault. Her remarks sparked conversation across social media platforms.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelSoon after, older posts believed to be from 2012 and 2013 resurfaced. Some of the messages referenced children at a daycare run by her mother, prompting criticism from some users who described the language as inappropriate.
Simi has responded publicly, saying the posts reflected her youth at the time and her experiences helping at the daycare. She rejected suggestions of wrongdoing, adding that the comments had been taken out of context.
Speaking, the agency’s executive secretary, Lola Vivour-Adeniyi, said officials had been monitoring what has been dubbed online as “Simi Gate”.
She said the case had now been referred to the Commissioner of Police to establish the facts, amid questions over whether the posts were authentic and concerns about child safeguarding.
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The state’s child protection taskforce has also been informed, with preliminary inquiries under way.
Officials say any further action would depend on whether a complainant comes forward. The agency has urged anyone affected to report their experiences as part of the investigation.
Prosper Okoye is a Correspondent and Research Writer at Prime Business Africa, a Nigerian journalist with experience in development reporting, public affairs, and policy-focused storytelling across Africa
