Speed Darlington defies NAPTIP, dares agency over alleged crimes

Controversial singer Speed Darlington has reacted to reports from the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) declaring him wanted, insisting he has no intention of honouring their invitation for questioning.

In a viral video, the artist boldly challenged the agency to present proof of the alleged offences, describing the accusations as an attempt to gain social media relevance.

In his message, Speed Darlington threatened legal action against NAPTIP for defamation, demanding that his name be immediately removed from the agency’s wanted list. He said, “NAPTIP, pay attention, all this wanted you people posted everywhere, I want you to take that shit down. I’m not coming. Did you hear me? I’m not coming.”

Maintaining his innocence, the singer argued that his actions do not amount to any crime, stating, “All I did was speak. Irresponsible talk is not a crime. Where is your evidence? Who is your complainant? You people just want to use me for social media clout.”

He further accused the agency of reacting merely because of public pressure and online tags. “You are reacting because people were tagging you to go after me. And now you want to show Nigerians say you are a good agency. Go after me for talking? Which one is cyberstalking? Who did I stalk? Did I call any names in the video?”

While insisting that the agency has no evidence against him, Speed Darlington demanded payment if they insist he appears before them, saying, “I charge N2.5 million for appearance, una go pay me N2.5 million plus round trip tickets for me and my PA, because I call that appearance.”

Despite his claims, NAPTIP maintained that if his statements were verified, they could constitute offences under the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015, and the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015.

Meanwhile, unconfirmed reports suggest that Speed Darlington may have fled the country after he posted a video claiming he had “left Lagos girls for New York girls.”