Simi Responds as Resurfaced Tweets Spark Paedophilia Accusations on X

Femi Ashekun/

Nigerian singer, Simisola Kosoko, popularly known as Simi, has come under intense scrutiny on social media after several of her old tweets resurfaced on X, prompting some users to accuse her of inappropriate comments about children while others debated the context of the posts.

The controversy escalated after the singer recently reiterated her stance against rape and sexual assault, calling for stronger consequences for offenders.

Shortly afterwards, critics began circulating posts from her account written more than a decade ago.

Some of those sharing the tweets went further, accusing the singer of paedophilic behaviour, a claim that has since sparked a fierce online debate.

Among the posts widely circulated was a tweet attributed to the singer which read: “I don’t know how a 16yrs old boy is this good. I can’t feel my legs.”

Another remark repeatedly cited by critics referenced children she encountered while helping at her mother’s daycare centre years earlier.

Reacting to the resurfaced comments, X user, Agba John Doe (@jon_d_doe), wrote:

“If a man is working in a daycare centre, and he comes online to post:
‘I love seeing this 4 year old girl. I feel like kissing and hugging her’
He would be in jail by now.
End.”

The comment spread quickly as users argued over whether the singer’s old posts were harmless remarks from years ago or something more troubling.

Addressing the backlash in a detailed statement, Simi said she felt compelled to respond after being alerted to the posts.

“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,” she wrote.

Reflecting on the period when the tweets were written, the singer explained that she had been living with and assisting her mother at a daycare while trying to build her music career.

“In 2012, I lived and helped out at my mum’s daycare while I was hustling my music. I tweeted everything that happened in my life, as we all did at the time.”

She rejected suggestions that the posts reflected inappropriate intentions.

“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.”

The singer also pushed back against interpretations she said misrepresented her words.

“What I can’t let anyone do is twist my story to fit false narratives. I’ve never been depraved in my life.”

Simi also addressed posts in which she openly joked about admiring or “crushing” on men at the time.

“You can retweet all the tweets in the world about me loudly crushing on people I admired. Or being a cheeky young woman. I wasn’t trying to hide it, because I don’t have anything to hide.”

According to her, she was not widely known when the tweets were written and did not expect the level of scrutiny that comes with fame.

“I was not famous, so maybe if I was, I would have understood that anything is open to whatever interpretation including being used falsely by a faceless mob.”

While insisting that the posts were innocent, the singer confirmed that some had been removed.

“My team has been deleting some of my tweets because of how sensitive it is for my family. To be honest, I did not want to.”

Simi is married to fellow Nigerian singer, Adekunle Gold, and the couple share one child, a daughter.

Her family life was referenced by critics who argued that the issue should be viewed from a parental perspective.

Despite her explanation, several commentators said her response did not adequately address the concerns raised.

Social media personality, Daniel Regha, criticised the singer’s statement in a strongly worded reaction.

“Simi could’ve easily own up to her mistakes and taken seriously accountability but instead, try to downplay the whole thing with the I adore children card. Ummm, no. What she did was perversion, there’s no two way around it, point blank period.”

Reacting to her explanation about deleting tweets, he added: “If it wasn’t a problem and despicable act, it won’t be sensitive for her family. Now that she’s a mother, let her switch the table and see how very disturbing that act was.”

Other users expressed similar sentiments, arguing that the issue raised broader questions about boundaries and responsibility.

One widely circulated reaction stated: “Context matters deeply; caring for children requires professionalism, boundaries, and accountability to protect kids while avoiding harmful assumptions or hysteria.”

The debate continues to trend across Nigerian social media, highlighting how historic posts can resurface years later and ignite intense public scrutiny of celebrities.

For now, Simi maintains that her comments were innocent and insists her long-standing advocacy against sexual violence remains unchanged.