Controversial Nigerian singer, Darlington Achakpo Okoye, a.k.a. Speed Darlington, has taken legal action against the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) for declaring him wanted.
 
The law suit filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja on July 9, 2025, by a group of female attorneys representing the artist 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.”
 
The singer believes that being declared wanted was baseless and has harmed 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.
 
Images in a viral video showed someone that looks like the artiste admitting to having a sexual encounter with a minor. 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 clarified that his controversial statements were part of promoting his work and apologised to anyone who was offended.
 
Now, Speed Darlington is seeking compensation and an injunction against NAPTIP’s action, maintaining that the allegations against him are unfounded and damaging.