WATCH LIST!!! NAPTIP Places ₦50 Million Bounty On Speed Darlington?
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has added controversial Nigerian entertainer, Darlington Okoye, popularly known as Speed Darlington, to its international watch list following his failure to honour multiple summons over serious allegations, including rape, cyberbullying, and cyberstalking.
Confirming the development in an interview with Punch on Monday, NAPTIP’s Chief Press Officer, Vincent Adekoye, said the agency had enlisted the support of multiple security agencies, including the Nigeria Immigration Service, the Department of State Services, the Police, and Interpol, to track down the singer.
“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,” Adekoye stated.
He noted that the agency made the decision after giving the singer “enough opportunity” to respond.
NAPTIP is also reportedly considering placing a ₦50 million bounty on the singer if he continues to evade arrest.
On June 27, TGM reports that NAPTIP officially declared Okoye wanted in connection with alleged criminal offences after the musician, during an Instagram livestream, appeared to admit to having sexual relations with a 15-year-old girl.
In a public notice posted via its verified Instagram handle @officialnaptip, the agency 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, info@naptip.gov.ng.”
In a defiant response posted on YouTube on Monday, Speed Darlington dismissed the allegations as baseless and accused NAPTIP of seeking “social media clout.”
“I’m not coming. You hear me? I’m not coming. I have not committed any crime. All I did was speak,” he said.
He went further to demand a ₦2.5 million appearance fee, claiming any meeting with the agency would amount to an official performance.
“₦2.5 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 said mockingly.
Challenging the agency’s claims, the entertainer questioned the basis for his summons, asking, “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 maintained that he had committed no crime and accused the agency of attempting psychological manipulation.
“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.
Speaking on Darlington’s stand to Punch 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 ₦50m.
“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.
