NIGERIAN entertainer, Darlington Okoye, popularly known as Speed Darlington, has dismissed rape allegations against him, noting that he would not honour the invitation by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP)
The ICIR reports that the 41-year-old singer claimed he slept with a 15-year-old girl in a hotel on a viral Instagram livestream on Children’s Day, May 27, which sparked outrage.
He said he gave the young girl N2,000 afterwards, after seeing blood stains on the bed sheet.
The claims have sparked outrage among netizens, activists, and civil rights organisations, many of whom are calling for swift intervention by the authorities in what they have described as ‘rape’.
Last Friday, NAPTIP declared Okoye wanted through its official Instagram page. It urged the public to provide any information regarding his whereabouts.
“Darlington Okoye, aka Speed Darlington, is wanted in connection with alleged offences including rape, cyberbullying, and cyberstalking,” the agency said.
The NAPTIP said that the declaration followed Okoye’s failure to honour multiple summons from the agency after his viral Children’s Day livestream triggered public outrage and concern from women’s rights groups.
The agency initially summoned him on May 28 to appear in Abuja on May 30. He refused and suggested June 26 as an alternative. However, NAPTIP rejected the proposed date, citing the urgency of the case, and issued a final deadline of June 2, which the agency said the singer also ignored.
“The issue at hand is of urgent national importance and requires an urgent response,” the agency said in a letter, warning of possible legal consequences for non-compliance.
Although Okoye later claimed the video was a prank intended to promote his music, critics argued that making light of child sexual abuse, even as a joke, was unacceptable.
Meanwhile, NAPTIP maintained that his statements, if proven true, could amount to violations under the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act 2015 and the Cybercrime Act 2015.
In a video posted on his Instagram page on Monday, June 30, the singer insisted he had committed no crime, described the allegations as baseless, and accused the agency of seeking social media attention.
“This video I am making is for NAPTIP…I’m not coming. You hear me? I’m not coming. I have not committed any crime. All I did was speak. Irresponsible is not a crime,” Okoye said.
He criticised the women and activists tagging NAPTIP on his video to take action, accused them of “hating on him”, and warned that he would sue the agency for defamation if his name was not cleared.
“There is no crime. All I did was try to claim it. You have no evidence. So, my coming here is a waste of my time… Which one is cyberstalking? Who did I stalk? Did I post or bully, or call anyone names in the video?. You have no evidence against me,” he insisted.
The controversial singer described the agency’s invitation as a psychological ploy, stating he would only appear if paid his standard appearance fee of N2.5 million.
“Where is your evidence? Who is the complainant? You want to use me to collect social media clout? ‘Hey, look at us. We are doing our job. We summoned a celebrity and he came.”
He added, “2.5 million is what I charge for my appearance. You want to pay me 2.5 million plus round-trip tickets for me and my PA to come? Because I call that appearance.”
Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues.