Speed Darlington has filed a ₦3 billion lawsuit against NAPTIP over a public wanted notice.
He says the agency defamed him with false claims, insisting he committed no criminal offence.
Controversial Nigerian entertainer Speed Darlington has slammed the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) with a ₦3 billion lawsuit, accusing the agency of defamation and wrongfully declaring him wanted.
The entertainer, whose real name is Darlington Okoye, is suing NAPTIP for publicly declaring him wanted on June 27, 2025. The declaration was widely published in national newspapers and online platforms, accompanied by his name and photograph under the banner “Wanted by NAPTIP.”
In court documents filed on July 9, 2025, at the Federal High Court in Abuja (Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1354/2025), a team of female lawyers representing Speed Darlington argued that the agency’s actions were defamatory, unfounded, and damaging to his reputation and personal safety.
The suit seeks not only monetary damages but also a perpetual injunction restraining NAPTIP and its agents from enforcing or acting upon the contents of the June 27 publication.
NAPTIP had issued the wanted notice following an Instagram livestream in which the singer appeared to admit to having sexual relations with a 15-year-old girl. The agency listed alleged offences including rape, cyberbullying, and cyberstalking in their public appeal, urging the public to report his whereabouts.
In response, Speed Darlington took to YouTube to deny the allegations, dismissing the notice as an attempt to gain “social media clout.” He insisted that he committed no crime and mocked the agency’s summons, demanding ₦2.5 million in appearance fees and flight tickets before he would consider showing up.
“I’m not coming. You hear me? I’m not coming. I have not committed any crime. All I did was speak,” he said in the video.
He further challenged the agency to present evidence and identify the complainant, adding, “You have nothing. My coming here is a waste of time.”
The court is expected to hear the case in the coming weeks, as the legal battle between the controversial musician and the federal agency unfolds.
