Popular singer Simi has been plunged into a fresh wave of controversy after the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA) referred allegations arising from resurfaced old tweets linked to her to the Commissioner of Police for preliminary investigation.
The Executive Secretary of the agency, Lola Vivour-Adeniyi, disclosed on Thursday that the agency could not ignore the allegations circulating online and had taken steps to ensure due process.
The uproar began after Simi made strong comments on social media condemning rape, urging men to stop raping women, suggesting that rapists should be castrated, and asserting that “almost every woman she knows has been sexually assaulted.” Her remarks sparked widespread online debate.
Shortly afterwards, screenshots of old tweets believed to date back to 2012 and 2013 began circulating on social media. Some of the posts appeared to reference children at her mother’s daycare facility, including comments such as expressing affection for the children and a tweet referencing a four-year-old boy’s inappropriate behaviour. The resurfaced posts quickly triggered intense backlash from some social media users, who interpreted them as inappropriate.
The online reaction generated significant criticism and renewed scrutiny of the singer, with some users demanding accountability.
Responding to the controversy, Simi addressed the matter on her social media platforms, explaining that the tweets were written in her youth while she was helping at her mother’s daycare. She insisted the posts were not made from a place of perversion and argued that they had been taken out of context.
Vivour-Adeniyi said the agency had been monitoring developments around what has been dubbed online as “Simi Gates and Simi Darlington,” referencing tweets alleged to have been posted between 2012 and 2014. She noted that there were also claims in circulation suggesting that some of the tweets may have been doctored.
According to her, the agency decided to escalate the matter to the Commissioner of Police for preliminary investigation, particularly in light of claims that some of the alleged incidents may have occurred at a creche reportedly managed by the singer’s mother, raising safeguarding and child protection concerns.
She further disclosed that the Lagos State taskforce responsible for implementing safeguarding and child protection orders had been briefed and that preliminary investigations were ongoing.
Vivour-Adeniyi stressed that the agency has a duty to initiate inquiries where allegations of sexual abuse or child protection breaches arise. However, she noted that prosecution would depend on the presence of a complainant or survivor.
“For the Simi case, we cannot act like we have not seen this,” she said, adding that it would be difficult to proceed legally without an alleged victim coming forward.
She urged anyone who may have been affected to report to the appropriate authorities to give a statement, emphasising that the investigative process was aimed at establishing the facts and determining the appropriate course of action.