Controversial Nigerian entertainer, Darlington Okoye, popularly known as Speed Darlington, has publicly rejected the arrest warrant issued against him by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), insisting he has done nothing wrong.
NAPTIP had declared Okoye wanted for alleged offences including rape, cyberbullying, and cyberstalking.
The declaration followed his failure to honour multiple invitations from the agency regarding a viral video in which he claimed to have had sexual relations with a 15-year-old girl—a statement he later described as a prank.
In a defiant video posted on YouTube on Monday, Okoye dismissed the allegations and refused to cooperate. “I’m not coming.
I have not committed any crime. All I did was speak,” he said, claiming the agency was attempting to exploit him for social media popularity.
Challenging the legitimacy of the accusations, he questioned the lack of a complainant and evidence. “You want to use me to collect social media clout? Where is your evidence? Who is the complainant?” he asked.
He further mocked the agency’s invitation, stating he would only appear if paid ₦2.5 million for what he termed an “appearance fee,” including round-trip tickets for himself and his personal assistant.
Responding to the livestream that sparked outrage—aired on Children’s Day—Okoye maintained it was part of a promotional stunt to boost his music, saying, “I need controversy to eat.”
NAPTIP had formally invited him to appear at its headquarters in Abuja on May 30, after the May 28 summons was issued.
Okoye failed to show up and instead proposed a new date of June 26, which the agency rejected. He also missed the final deadline of June 2.
Describing the matter as one of “urgent national importance,” NAPTIP warned that continued refusal to cooperate could attract legal consequences.
Despite Okoye’s claims that the video was a joke, the agency reiterated that his statements, if verified, could amount to serious violations under Nigeria’s anti-human trafficking and cybercrime laws.
Meanwhile, the entertainer appears to have left the country.
In a recent video, he declared, “I’ve left Lagos girls for New York girls,” fuelling speculation that he may have relocated to the United States.