Nigerian singer Darlington Okoye, better known as Speed Darlington, has refused to comply with a warrant issued by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), which declared him wanted for allegations including rape, cyberbullying, and cyberstalking.
The situation began after a video of Okoye went viral, in which he allegedly claimed during a livestream on Children’s Day that he had slept with a 15-year-old girl.
The video drew public anger and attracted attention from women’s rights advocates and the Lagos State government.
In reaction, NAPTIP formally invited the artist to appear at its headquarters in Abuja on May 30, 2025.
Okoye declined, citing other engagements, and suggested a new date of June 26.
The agency turned down the proposal and gave him a deadline of June 2, which he also failed to meet.
NAPTIP then issued a public notice on Instagram, asking the public to provide any information about his location.
The agency described the case as urgent and warned that ignoring the summons could lead to legal action.
Instead of responding to the invitation, Okoye posted a video on YouTube rejecting the allegations.
He insisted he had done nothing wrong and claimed the agency was only trying to get attention using his name.
He argued that there was no real evidence against him and said he would only appear if paid for what he called an “appearance fee.”
He added that what he said during the livestream was only for publicity.
Despite his denial, NAPTIP stated that if his statements are verified, they could breach the 2015 laws on human trafficking and cybercrime.
Leave a Reply