Nigerian artist Darlington Okoye, popularly known as Speed Darlington or Akpi, has pushed back against the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) following its public declaration that he is wanted.
On Friday afternoon, NAPTIP, via its official Instagram handle (@officialnaptip), announced that Darlington is wanted in connection with serious allegations including rape, cyberbullying, and cyberstalking. The post read:
“Darlington Okoye, aka Speed Darlington, is wanted in connection with alleged offences including rape, cyberbullying, and cyberstalking. Anyone with credible information on his whereabouts is urged to contact NAPTIP immediately.”
In response, Speed Darlington told Saturday Beats that he’s not worried and believes the agency acted beyond its powers.
“Thanks for the heads up, but I’m not worried. They have no right to declare me wanted. My lawyer has already sent the post to me. They just want to embarrass themselves. My lawyer will handle it,” he said.
The agency’s notice comes after Darlington reportedly failed to honour an invitation for questioning at NAPTIP’s headquarters on May 30, 2025. The invitation was in regard to a disturbing claim he made during a live Instagram session, where he stated he had sex with a 15-year-old girl—an admission he later said was fabricated for publicity.
According to NAPTIP, the singer had requested to postpone his appearance to June 26, citing prior commitments. In a follow-up letter signed by Hakeem Lawal, the agency’s Director of Information and Communications Technology and Coordinator of the Cybercrime Response Team, NAPTIP reiterated the urgency of the matter:
“The agency wishes to state that the invitation was sent to you on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, giving you sufficient time to prepare and appear as indicated. Moreover, the issue at hand is of urgent national importance and requires an urgent response. However, you are further given till Monday, June 2, 2025, at 1:00 pm to appear in person at NAPTIP’s Headquarters, 2028 Dalaba Crescent, Wuse Zone 5, FCT, Abuja.”
Darlington, however, failed to show up on both occasions.
He later dismissed his controversial statement as a marketing tactic, saying, “I need controversy to eat.” In a separate post, he referred to the video as “a prank.”
Despite his explanation, public backlash has been strong, with many critics condemning the trivialization of child sexual abuse, calling the stunt both dangerous and deeply inappropriate.
