The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has confirmed that controversial rapper Speed Darlington, whose real name is Darlington Okoye, remains on its security watchlist over allegations that he engaged in sexual activity with a minor.
The agency said the artiste was placed on the watchlist after repeatedly failing to honour invitations to appear before investigators in Abuja.
Speaking at a press conference to launch the 2025 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence in Abuja, NAPTIP’s Director of Legal and Prosecution, Mrs. Ijeoma Amugo, said the case stems from a May 2024 Instagram Live session in which the rapper allegedly claimed he had sexual relations with a 15-year-old girl.
Amugo noted that instead of cooperating with investigators, Speed Darlington took to social media to criticise and attack the agency.
“What he did was to preemptively try to intimidate us by going to social media to say that he wouldn’t come and that he wouldn’t respond to us, claiming we were violating his human rights,” she said.
“We tried our best to physically locate him because you have to locate the suspect before justice can be served.”
She explained that investigators were unable to find him at known addresses and later received intelligence indicating he had left the country.
“Our last information is that he’s outside Nigeria. We’ve placed him on watchlist. The moment he steps back into the country, we’ll pick up the investigation,” Amugo said.
“As I speak to you, the last report we have is that he’s outside the country and we have not heard from him. We have placed him on watchlist. Anytime he enters Nigeria, NAPTIP will continue the investigation from where we stopped. That is the status of the case for now.”
The agency said the allegations remain under investigation and will resume once the artiste returns to Nigeria.
