Lifestyle
NAPTIP Considers ₦50M Bounty On Speed Darlington
By Benjamin Abioye

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has added Nigerian entertainer, Darlington Okoye, also known as Speed Darlington, to its international watch list.
This action follows his repeated failure to respond to official invitations over serious accusations, including rape, cyberbullying, and cyberstalking.
NAPTIP’s spokesperson, Vincent Adekoye, confirmed the update. He said, “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.” He also mentioned that the agency had given the entertainer “enough opportunity” to respond before taking this step.
The agency is also considering placing a ₦50 million bounty on Darlington if he continues to avoid arrest. On June 27, the agency publicly declared him wanted, following an Instagram livestream where he allegedly admitted to having sexual relations with a 15-year-old girl. In a notice on Instagram, NAPTIP 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 video posted on YouTube, Darlington denied all the allegations. He accused the agency of chasing “social media clout.” He boldly stated, “I’m not coming. You hear me? I’m not coming. I have not committed any crime. All I did was speak.” He also mocked the agency by demanding a ₦2.5 million appearance fee, saying, “₦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.”
Questioning the legitimacy of the accusations, he asked, “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 also claimed, “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.”
Adekoye stated that all proper legal steps had been followed, including getting a court order to place Darlington on a watch list. He explained, “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.” He added, “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.”
Another official, who asked not to be named, 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.”
An additional source shared that NAPTIP is preparing a reward system for anyone who provides helpful information. The official said, “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.”
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