Legal counsel to Nigerian singer Simi has opened up about the scale of online harassment allegedly directed at the artist and her family, revealing that her team reviewed more than 5,000 tweets linked to sustained trolling and cyberbullying.
The disclosure was made by entertainment business executive and lawyer Oyinkansola Fawehinmi, popularly known as Foza, during an appearance on the JayOnairLive show.
Speaking during the interview, Foza strongly condemned what she described as a prolonged and coordinated online attack targeting Simi and her husband, singer Adekunle Gold.
According to her, the situation became even more disturbing because much of the alleged harassment happened while Simi was pregnant.
“We went through over 5,000 tweets of sustained harassment,” she revealed.
“And the intention was to ensure that Simi becomes a shadow of herself.”
Foza explained that her team could not ignore the emotional and psychological impact such attacks might have on a woman expecting a child.
“And mind you, I’m dealing with someone here that has a baby on the way,” she said.
“I’m not going to sit down and let you do that to my clients. Nobody, even you, if you had a wife that’s about to give birth, you’re not going to allow that to happen.”
The lawyer also used the interview to explain the legal distinction between defamation and harassment, arguing that many people misunderstand the seriousness of coordinated online abuse.
According to her, defamation often involves isolated statements, while harassment becomes more dangerous when attacks are repeated consistently over time and escalate into threats or intimidation.
“So now defamation is, I come out and say, hey, Jay did X and X and X,” she explained.
“Harassment is a sustained period of conversation.”
Foza stressed that online attacks against celebrities are not harmless internet jokes, noting that they can affect personal wellbeing, family life, and even business relationships.
“But people need to understand that these are not just mere statements. They have real-life implications, especially for celebrities,” she said.
“When things like this break out, the first thing is all the brands you’re working with start calling you. You start having to explain yourself.”
Her comments come only days after a Federal High Court in Lagos sentenced X user Samuel Adeboye Adeyeye to two years’ imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to charges involving cyberbullying, cyber threats, and cyber harassment against Simi, Adekunle Gold, and their family.
Adeyeye, known on X as @Swanky001, reportedly posted false claims alleging that the couple’s daughter, Deja, had died.
According to reports, the social media user allegedly ignored warnings from other users urging him to delete the post, even as engagement on the tweet continued to increase online.
The court ordered that the sentences run concurrently and also restrained him from engaging in further harmful conduct directed at the singers and their family.
The case has since sparked wider conversations across Nigerian social media about cyberbullying, misinformation, and the growing legal consequences attached to harmful online behaviour.
Foza also expressed concern about the culture of trolling and harassment on platforms such as X, arguing that anonymity and engagement-driven algorithms often encourage users to spread harmful content without considering its real-world impact.
In recent years, several Nigerian celebrities have increasingly spoken out against online abuse, false rumours, and coordinated harassment campaigns that often spiral across social media within hours.
For many observers, the Simi case now represents one of the clearest examples yet that Nigerian authorities and legal institutions may be taking cyber harassment more seriously than before.
As reactions continue online, many fans have praised Simi’s legal team for pursuing the matter aggressively. In contrast, others say the case could serve as a warning to users who treat cyberbullying and misinformation as entertainment.
