Popular Nigerian entertainer and musician, Darlington Achakpo, widely known as Speed Darlington, has filed a N3 billion lawsuit against the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) over its decision to declare him wanted.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1354/2025, was filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja on July 9, 2025, by a consortium of female attorneys representing the artist.
In the court filing, Speed Darlington is seeking N3 billion in damages, claiming that NAPTIP’s actions amounted to an unlawful and defamatory declaration.
The agency had published a notice on June 27, 2025, declaring him wanted, accompanied by his photograph and name, under the headline “Wanted by NAPTIP.” The publication was widely circulated across multiple national newspapers, both in print and online.
The musician argues that the public declaration was baseless and has caused irreparable harm to his reputation and personal safety.
In addition to financial compensation, Speed Darlington is also asking the court for a perpetual injunction restraining NAPTIP—whether by itself, its agents, servants, officers, operatives, or any individual acting on its instructions—from enforcing or giving effect to the contents of the June 27 publication.
NAPTIP had placed Speed Darlington on an international watch list over allegations of sexual involvement with a minor.
The agency confirmed it had also alerted the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) after the musician reportedly ignored multiple summonses regarding an online confession in which he allegedly admitted to having sex with a 15-year-old girl.
NAPTIP’s Chief Press Officer, Vincent Adekoye, had confirmed the development to SaharaReporters, noting that the agency was collaborating with other law enforcement bodies, including the Nigeria Immigration Service, the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services (DSS), and Interpol, to apprehend the entertainer.
“We have placed all of them on procedural notice so that wherever they see him, they can take action, because we have already given him enough opportunities.
“We are working to limit his access to people, wherever he may be hiding, because he is alleged to be a dangerous individual. He has openly admitted to raping a 14-year-old girl, and as recently as yesterday, he confessed to raping a 15-year-old.
“We call on any country where he is hiding to place him under surveillance, arrest him, and hand him over to the appropriate authorities. He is alleged to be an extremely dangerous man who must be removed from society,” he said.
In a recent video he shared on his TikTok page, the singer dismissed the allegations and said he would not honour the agency’s summons.
“I’m not coming. You hear me? I’m not coming. I have not committed any crime. All I did was speak,” Okoye said.
