NAPTIP Opens Investigation Into Simi’s Resurfaced Tweets About Daycare Children.
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has announced it will investigate popular Nigerian singer Simisola Kosoko, known professionally as Simi, following the resurfacing of old tweets she posted over a decade ago. The posts, which date back to 2012, have sparked widespread outrage and calls for scrutiny.
The controversy began after Simi joined an online conversation about sexual assault, which led social media users to dig up her old posts from when she was 23 years old. In those tweets, she made comments about toddlers at her mother’s daycare center. Some of the now-deleted posts referenced a four-year-old boy named David, with Simi writing in shorthand, “David has a crush on me. He kips comn close; actin lik he wana lock lips n den he puts his head on my lap. Shd I giv him a chance?”.
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Other posts from the same period described children trying to put their hands inside her shirt and her own feelings of wanting to kiss the children because they were “super adorable.” The comments were written in the casual style common on Twitter at the time, but many online users found them disturbing and accused the singer of sexualizing minors .
Following the public backlash, NAPTIP released a statement on its social media pages, confirming that it is taking the matter seriously. The agency said it is committed to thoroughly investigating any credible reports of child sexual abuse or misconduct in daycare settings.
“We kindly request anyone with factual information, evidence, direct knowledge, or who was personally affected by the matters referenced in the viral posts or related experiences to kindly reach out to us confidentially,” the agency stated .
As of now, there is no official confirmation that the Nigerian Police Force has joined the investigation or issued any invitation to the singer. Contrary to reports circulating online, no 24-hour ultimatum has been issued by any government agency, and NAPTIP has only called on the public to come forward with evidence .
Simi, however, has not kept quiet. In a lengthy post on her X page, she addressed the issue head-on, explaining the context of the tweets and pushing back against what she called false narratives.
“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,” she wrote. “In 2012, I lived and helped out at my mother’s daycare while I was hustling my music. I tweeted everything that happened in my life, as we all did at the time”.
She described the posts as harmless observations about children being mischievous, which she found funny or cute. “Kids can be mischievous. If a child did something I found funny, I tweeted about it. Kids are cute and lovable. I want to hug, kiss and cuddle them. I tweet about it. Nothing I tweeted was from perversion,” she insisted .
The singer also revealed that her team has been deleting some of her old tweets, not because she felt guilty, but out of sensitivity to how it might affect her family. She admitted she was initially reluctant to remove them .
Throughout her response, Simi maintained that she has always spoken out against rape and sexual assault, long before she became a public figure. “It’s not a costume I’m wearing, it’s who I am,” she stated firmly .
The case has divided opinions across the country. Some Nigerians are calling for a thorough investigation to protect children, while others argue that the tweets are being taken out of context and that people should not be judged for things they said as young adults over a decade ago . Actor Deyemi Okanlawon also appeared to defend the singer, urging the public to stay focused on the main issue of stopping sexual violence against women .
The agency has not provided a timeline for when it might conclude its investigation.
NAPTIP Opens Investigation Into Simi’s Resurfaced Tweets About Daycare Children.
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