By Ghazali Ibrahim
Controversial Nigerian entertainer and rapper, Darlington Okoye, popularly known as Speed Darlington, has been declared wanted by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) over serious allegations, including rape, cyberbullying, and cyberstalking.
The agency issued a wanted notice on Friday, June 27, via its official X handle, urging members of the public with credible information on the artist’s whereabouts to contact NAPTIP directly.
“WANTED BY NAPTIP: Darlington Okoye, aka Speed Darlington, is wanted in connection with alleged offences including rape, cyberbullying, and cyberstalking,” the statement read.
The development follows the rapper’s failure to honour an invitation for questioning in May after he made a shocking claim during a live Instagram session about engaging in sexual activity with a 15-year-old girl.
The statement, which went viral, prompted swift action from NAPTIP, which issued an official summons for him to appear at its headquarters in Abuja by May 30, 2025.
Despite the notice and a follow-up communication signed by the agency’s Head of Cybercrime Response Team, Ngamaraju Mangzha, Speed Darlington did not appear.
In a response sent to NAPTIP, the singer cited prior commitments and requested the meeting be rescheduled for June 26 instead.
The agency rejected the request, emphasizing the urgency and national importance of the allegations, and gave a final deadline of June 2 for his appearance, a deadline he also missed.
The Director of ICT and Coordinator of the Cybercrime Response Team, Hakeem Lawal, reiterated in a response letter that the agency could not operate on the rapper’s timeline and emphasized the importance of his cooperation.
In the wake of the controversy, Speed Darlington took to Instagram to deny any wrongdoing, insisting his comments were “just a joke” and a promotional stunt for his latest single, Village Girl.
He described the video as “clout and entertainment,” while apologizing for any offense it may have caused.
“To the discerning, the video was only for clout and entertainment… I would never deliberately engage in any activity that contravenes my responsibilities as a role model,” he stated.
“I have neither engaged in nor contemplated any acts of sexual predation, sexual violation, or any other untoward behaviour against the opposite sex.”
Despite his apology, civil society groups and legal experts have strongly condemned his conduct, warning that trivializing child sexual abuse in any form — even as “entertainment” — sends dangerous signals and undermines efforts to combat gender-based violence.
This is not Speed Darlington’s first run-in with the law. In November 2024, he was arrested following a public spat with fellow artist Burna Boy and detained for weeks before being granted N20 million bail.
He later filed a N300 million lawsuit against the Inspector-General of Police for alleged rights violations during his detention.
As of press time, Speed Darlington’s whereabouts remain unknown.
