Speed Darlington placed on NAPTIP watchlist, faces possible N50m bounty

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons on Monday said it has tightened the net around Nigerian entertainer, Darlington Okoye (a.k.a. Speed Darlington), adding his name to an international watch list.

It also said it had alerted Interpol after he ignored multiple summonses over an online confession to having sex with a 15-year-old girl.

According to sources who spoke to one of our correspondents, the agency was also mulling a N50m bounty on the entertainer after the gestational period of the wanted status.

“We are collaborating with the Nigeria Immigration Service, the Police, the DSS, and even the Interpol.

“We have put all of them on procedural notice so that wherever they see him, they can take action.

“The reason we did this is because we have given him enough opportunity,” NAPTIP’s Chief Press Officer, Vincent Adekoye, confirmed in an exclusive interview with The PUNCH on Monday.

On Friday, June 27, NAPTIP declared Okoye wanted in connection with alleged offences including rape, cyberbullying, and cyberstalking.

On its official Instagram handle @officialnaptip, it wrote, “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. Call: 07030000203, [email protected].”

However, the singer has since responded defiantly to the development.

In a video shared online via YouTube on Monday, the controversial musician insisted he had committed no crime and dismissed the allegations as baseless.

He accused officials of seeking “social-media clout” and demanded a N2.5m “appearance fee,” insisting the allegations were a publicity stunt.

“I’m not coming. You hear me? I’m not coming. I have not committed any crime. All I did was speak,” he said.

Okoye accused NAPTIP of using him to gain “social media clout,” questioning the basis for the agency’s action.

“Where is your evidence? Who is the complainant? Do 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 said.

He went on to describe the invitation as an attempt at psychological manipulation and demanded payment if the agency wanted him to appear.

“N2.5 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,” he added.

Referring to his controversial Instagram livestream, Okoye maintained that there was no evidence against him.

“There is no crime. All I did was try to claim it. You have no evidence. You have nothing. So, my coming here is a waste of my time,” he said.

Last Friday’s notice came a month after Okoye failed to honour the agency’s invitation for questioning over his claim of having sex with a 15-year-old girl during a live Instagram video.

In the now-viral video, Okoye described “blood coming out” of a minor during intercourse, sparking public outrage.

The agency’s first summons went unheeded on May 30; a second deadline of June 2 also passed without an appearance, and a proposed self-selected date of June 26 was rejected.

A letter, signed by the agency’s Head of Cybercrime Response Team, Ngamaraju Mangzha, was addressed to Okoye on May 28, 2025.

It asked the singer to appear at its Abuja head office at 09:00 am on May 30, 2025.

However, one of our correspondents who visited the agency’s headquarters at the time confirmed that the singer did not show up at NAPTIP’s Wuse Zone 5 office. Later, NAPTIP stated that Okoye insisted on appearing on June 26.

In his response, Okoye said, “Hello, I will not be able to come in today. This is very sudden and urgent for me. I already have commitments and responsibilities. I suggest you reschedule for next month, June 26. I will be in Abuja that day.”

In a letter signed by its Director of Information and Communications Technology & Coordinator, Cybercrime Response Team, Hakeem Lawal, NAPTIP replied, “The issue at hand is of urgent National importance and requires an urgent response.

“As such, NAPTIP will not be able to work with your schedule as stated in your response. However, you are further given till Monday, June 2, 2025, at 1:00 pm, to appear in person at the NAPTIP’s Headquarters…your cooperation is very critical in this matter.”

However, The PUNCH observed that Okoye did not appear on June 2. He also failed to turn up on his preferred date of June 26.

Speaking to one of our correspondents on Monday, Adekoye said, “We have followed the normal legal procedure involved in declaring somebody wanted. We got a court order to watchlist him. When you watchlist someone, you have designated the person as a Person of Concern because of the allegation against him. We have contacted our various partners, all Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

“And if he sees it and refuses to respond, he is doing so at his peril. If someone is declared wanted, they become a target even outside the shores of Nigeria. Our advice is, wherever he is, he should turn himself in.”

An official who spoke on condition of anonymity said, “If he has nothing to hide, let him come and meet us. If his hands are clean as he said, why is he running? And the places he is running to still have zero tolerance for that kind of misconduct. If he has good advisers, they should tell him to turn himself in and let’s discuss with him.”

Meanwhile, another official familiar with the matter said NAPTIP is preparing a financial incentive for tip-offs.

“We are looking at the possibility of putting a bounty on his head. We are working with our legal department to look into it. We are considering N50m.

“We will allow the gestational period of this wanted status to pass. The moment it matures, we will graduate and move to another level.

“But we want to follow due process. We have given him enough opportunity to decide when to come and we’ve been very civil even though he confessed to a grievous offence,” the official stated.

(Punch)