The Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency has urged Ogun State authorities to launch investigations into allegations involving singer Simi.
Speaking on Channels TV’s Morning Brief, Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency, Lola Vivour-Adeniyi, emphasised the importance of acting on the reports.
Adeniyi urged victims to come forward to support the process.
“As for the Simi case, we cannot act like we have not seen these things. We have a duty to at least commence a preliminary investigation,” she stated.
She further noted the difficulty of pursuing legal action without testimony from survivors.
“The truth of the matter is that it’s going to be very difficult to prosecute the lady without a survivor being present,” she stated.
Vivour-Adeniyi encouraged anyone who may have been affected to come forward.
“A victim of whatever it is, sexual abuse, sexual assault, aggression, or defamation should step forward. It’s to start the process, document and ensure that their statement is taken. Then we will know where we are going on the matter,” she added.
Meanwhile, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has announced it will investigate credible claims of child abuse or misconduct in daycare centres across Nigeria.
According to reports, this comes after renewed discussions on social media about past posts by singer Simi regarding her time helping at her mother’s daycare in 2012 and 2013.
The debate reignited after Simi spoke against rape culture online, prompting some social media users to revisit her old posts.
While some people interpreted her tweets as inappropriate, others said they were harmless recollections of daily life at the daycare.
Simi, in a statement, explained that she was describing normal interactions with children when she was 23 and not yet famous, and that her posts reflected her experiences with playful and affectionate children.
Despite her clarification, a number of online users called for a formal review, asking authorities to examine daycare practices more closely.
In response, NAPTIP issued a public notice on Tuesday, stating its commitment to investigating all credible reports of child abuse or misconduct in childcare settings.
The agency encouraged anyone with evidence or first-hand information to reach out confidentially via direct message on X or by emailing [email protected].
The agency wrote: “Following recent public discussions and concerns raised regarding alleged incidents of child sexual abuse/misconduct in daycare settings in Nigeria, we are committed to thoroughly investigating credible reports.
“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. Via DM or email us [email protected]”