Speed Darlington Snubs NAPTIP, Demands ₦2.5M to Appear in Alleged Rape Matter

By Sholeye Ayodele, Lagos

Nigerian entertainer Darlington Okoye, popularly known as Speed Darlington, has denied allegations made against him and declared that he will not respond to a summons issued by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP). He also mentioned that his standard appearance fee is ₦2.5 million.

In a video shared on his Instagram page on Monday, Speed Darlington maintained that he had not committed any crime. He dismissed the allegations as baseless and accused NAPTIP of attempting to gain social media attention through his name.

“This video I am making is for NAPTIP. You people should pay attention. All these wanted posters you’ve circulated need to be taken down,” he stated. “I’m not coming. You hear me? I have not committed any crime. All I did was speak. Being irresponsible is not a crime.”

The 41-year-old artist further accused the agency of trying to exploit his celebrity status for publicity. He questioned their motives and demanded concrete evidence of any wrongdoing.

“Where is your evidence? Who is the complainant? You want to use me for social media clout? Like, ‘Hey look, we’re doing our job—we summoned a celebrity and he came,’” he said.

Describing the agency’s invitation as a psychological tactic, he declared that he would only appear if he is paid his usual fee. “₦2.5 million is my appearance fee. If you want me to come, you’ll pay that plus round-trip tickets for me and my personal assistant. I consider that an appearance.”

Addressing the backlash from a controversial Instagram livestream in which he appeared to confess to sleeping with a 15-year-old girl, Speed Darlington insisted there was no evidence against him. He claimed the outrage was unwarranted.

“There is no crime. I was just trying to claim it. You have no proof. Coming there is a waste of my time. What cyberstalking? Who did I stalk? Did I bully anyone or call names in that video?” he asked.

He also criticized women who tagged NAPTIP in calls for action, accusing them of targeting him unfairly. He warned that if his name was not cleared, he would sue the agency for defamation. “You have no evidence against me,” he reiterated.

NAPTIP had declared Okoye wanted last Friday on its official Instagram page, asking the public to report any information regarding his whereabouts. The agency stated that he was wanted in connection with alleged offences including rape, cyberbullying, and cyberstalking.

This declaration followed Okoye’s failure to respond to multiple summons issued by the agency. The controversy stemmed from his viral livestream on Children’s Day, which sparked outrage and concern among women’s rights organizations. The Lagos State government also formally reported the incident to NAPTIP.

The agency first summoned Okoye on May 28 to appear in Abuja on May 30. He declined and proposed June 26 instead. NAPTIP rejected this, citing the urgency of the matter, and gave him a final deadline of June 2, which he also ignored.

In a letter, NAPTIP emphasized the seriousness of the issue, describing it as being of national importance and warning that failure to comply could result in legal consequences.

Although Speed Darlington later claimed the video was a prank meant to promote his music, critics argued that making light of child sexual abuse, even as a joke, is unacceptable.

NAPTIP has maintained that if his statements are found to be true, they may constitute violations under the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act 2015 and the Cybercrime Act 2015.

Meanwhile, there are reports suggesting that the controversial artist may have left the country.