Agency Places Speed Darlington On Persons’ Trafficking Watchlist

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has placed controversial entertainer, Darlington Okoye, popularly known as Speed Darlington, on watchlist following his refusal to honour his invitation to the Abuja headquarters of the agency.

NAPTIP’s director, legal and prosecution department, Ijeoma Mary Amugo, made the disclosure at the a press conference to commence the 2025 edition of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence in Abuja on Monday.

NAPTIP had summoned Darlington over his claim of having sex with a 15-year-old girl during a live Instagram video, a claim that bothers on sexual activity with an under-age female. He made the statement in May this year.

Fielding questions from journalists, the director of prosecution said the entertainer tried to intimidate NAPTIP because because of the several invitations that were sent to him for questioning, saying the agency has not been able to trace him to a known address, which makes it difficult to get him to answer for the alleged crime.

“So what he did was to preemptively try to intimidate us by going to the social media to say that he wouldn’t come and that he wouldn’t respond to us, that we are kind of sitting on his human rights. So we tried our best to physically locate him because you have to locate the suspect before justice will be served,” Amugo stated.

She said” So as I’m speaking to you, the last report we have is that he’s outside the country and we have not heard from him yet. We have placed him on watch list. Anytime he enters Nigeria, NAPTIP is going to continue the investigation from where we stopped. So that is the status of the case for now.”

Director general of NAPTIP, Binta Adamu Bello has said the agency would be” fine-tuning our implementation strategies to tighten the noose on the offenders.” Nigeria is making efforts to deal with the rising cases of human trafficking across the country.

However, enforcement remains a challenge, given societal attitudes and cultural norms.

Meanwhile, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) Chief of Mission, Dimanche Sharon said trafficking continues to affect thousands of women, men, and especially girls across Nigeria.

Human trafficking, it is a crime rooted in vulnerability, driven by poverty, by
insecurity, by limited opportunities, and the persistent gender inequalities. For survivors, she Sharon noted that the consequences are long-lasting: trauma, stigma, and the significant barriers it
revealed in their lives.

“If we forget anything else, I really want us not to forget these five key points. And one,
prevention is very essential. We must address the root causes that put individuals, especially women and girls, at risk. Survivors must be protected. They deserve dignity. They deserve justice. They deserve access to comprehensive support,”
the IOM representative said.

The NAPTIP DG called on all sectors of society—traditional rulers, religious leaders, community organizations, and individuals—to uphold the tenets of the VAPP Act and foster an environment where victims can come forward without fear.

She said her agency will soon shall scale up the scope and dimension of its awareness and enlightenment campaigns by penetrating the unreached locations and settlements with a view to reducing the vulnerability of the people and developing their ability to report and speak out. “Our advocacy strategies are being reviewed to meet the reality of the digital space and the Gen–Z target class of society.”

The 16 Days of Activism is an international campaign aimed at raising awareness and activating actions to end violence against women and girls globally. It runs from November 25th (International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women) to December 10th (Human Rights Day), highlighting that violence against women is a human rights violation.

It also serves as a powerful reminder of our collective obligation to eliminate violence against women and girls, and to promote equality, dignity, and human rights.