Nigerian rapper Darlington Okoye, popularly known as Speed Darlington, has recanted his previous admission of having carnal knowledge of a 15-year-old girl.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that the singer confessed to sleeping with a 15-year-old girl in a hotel during an Instagram Live video on Tuesday.
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This confession drew the attention of the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA), which subsequently referred the matter to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) for comprehensive investigation.
NAPTIP, in response, acknowledged DSVA’s tweet with a brief “Respect.”
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However, in a subsequent live session, the Imo-born singer maintained that his initial video was a publicity stunt to drive engagement for his newly released song, ‘Village Girl.’
The ‘Baby Oil’ crooner noted: “This video is for my fans, followers, and those who are angry that I made a video claiming I raped a 15-year-old. As artists, we need controversy to thrive. If people aren’t talking about you, you won’t get booked for shows; it’s that simple. I had a new song, ‘Village Girl,’ which talks about having sex. This is my direction; I don’t sing Christian songs. When I release a song like that, I need controversy to push it, and that’s precisely what I did.
“Don’t give it more attention than it’s supposed to have. If any of you are offended, I apologise. Millions of aspiring artists, but how do people discover you and your sound? You have to be controversial, and that’s what you saw me doing in the video. I was promoting my work, and that’s it. I hope you all understand.”
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Not first time
However, activist Martin ‘VeryDarkMan (VDM)’ Otse condemned Speed Darlington’s actions, noting that it was not the first time he had behaved in such a manner.
VDM, in a video posted on his Instagram page on Wednesday, said, “What Speed Darlington did was what they called statutory rape. With the wag he said, you’ll know this isn’t his first time with his comfortability. I remember two years ago, a woman accused him of sleeping with her 16-year-old house help or daughter.
“The 16-year-old girl’s mother said he has been trying to sexually harass her daughter, which means he wants to sleep with her. Instead of him being remorseful, he went and brought a knife that they were invading his privacy.”
VDM added that the singer needs medical attention and should not be allowed to roam freely on the streets.
“This is a sickness; Speed Darlington needs to go to the hospital and rehab. Many people call for his arrest; an arrest can’t be made without a complainer. If there’s an attempt to arrest him now, he may say he’s not mentally stable and he was just talking.
“The only way he can be arrested is when the mother of the 16-year-old of two years ago and this 15-year-old come out to say he truly did that. We need a complainer; Speed Darlington shouldn’t be walking free on the street”, said the activist.
READ ALSO: Outrage as Speed Darlington allegedly admits to sleeping with 15-year-old
Investigations ongoing
Meanwhile, NAPTIP, in a statement on its X page on Wednesday, confirmed that an investigation has commenced into the singer’s confession.
The agency further stated that the video of the ‘Akamu’ crooner confessing to raping a minor was indeed not a skit.
“This is not a skit, right? If not, we are sure the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency(DSVA) will look into this to the very end. The NAPTIP Cybercrime Response Team has commenced investigations into the disturbing Instagram live video and other videos made by the same individual.
“We at NAPTIP are committed to a world where children are safe and free from all forms of violence”, said NAPTIP.
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