Speed Darlington sues NAPTIP for declaring him ‘wanted’; demands N3bn damages

Nigerian singer, Darlington Achakpo Okoye, a.k.a. Speed Darlington, has filed a lawsuit against the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) for declaring him wanted.

The lawsuit filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja on July 9, 2025, by his legal counsels seeks N3 billion in damages, alleging that NAPTIP’s actions were defamatory.

On June 27, the agency announced that Darlington was wanted for alleged crimes, including rape, cyberbullying and cyberstalking.  Officialnaptip, the official Instagram account of the agency, posted

 “WANTED BY NAPTIP. 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 the lawsuit filed by his legal counsels, Speed Darlington argued that the agency’s action of declaring him wanted was baseless and has dented his reputation and safety.  He requested the court to issue a perpetual injunction restraining NAPTIP from enforcing or giving effect to the contents of the June 27 publication.

NAPTIP had declared him wanted after he failed to come forward to answer questions bothering on the claims he made in a video he posted on his Instagram page in which he alleged he had carnal knowledge of a minor in a hotel.

Consequently, the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA) intervened, and referred the case to NAPTIP for further investigation.

Despite the singer’s claims that it was a prank, NAPTIP insisted that he must appear at its Abuja office for questioning. The singer defended his actions, stating that artistes need controversy to thrive. He claimed that his controversial statements were part of promoting his work and apologised to anyone who was offended.

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