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.
Naija News 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]”
