Controversial rapper Speed Darlington has taken legal action against Nigeria’s anti-human trafficking agency, NAPTIP, over what he describes as a violation of his fundamental rights.
The lawsuit, which demands a staggering ₦3 billion in compensation, has stirred public debate and legal interest.
Filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, the suit challenges NAPTIP’s recent move to declare the rapper wanted.
The agency had announced him as a fugitive following allegations of rape, cyberbullying, and cyberstalking claims that Darlington now says are baseless and unjustified.
The issue began after Speed Darlington allegedly claimed, in a now-deleted video, that he had engaged in sexual relations with a 15-year-old girl.
The statement, which sparked outrage, led NAPTIP to invite him for questioning.
However, when the rapper failed to respond, he was declared wanted on June 27.
Speed Darlington, whose real name remains undisclosed in the case, has denied the allegations, stating that the controversial confession was merely a “fictional narrative” and not a true account.
He now insists that NAPTIP acted illegally by going public with the wanted notice without obtaining a court order.
“A declaration that the very act of declaring the applicant wanted… without any prior order or leave of a court of competent jurisdiction is unlawful, illegal, wrongful, ultra vires, unconstitutional, and constitutes a flagrant violation of the fundamental rights of the applicant to personal liberty, private and family life, freedom of movement, and right not to be subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment,” the suit reads in part.
Moreover, the rapper is asking the court to compel NAPTIP to publish a public apology across national platforms.
He also wants the court to permanently bar the agency and its affiliates from taking any further action based on the “wanted” status.
In addition to the public apology, Darlington is demanding ₦1 billion in general damages and ₦2 billion in punitive damages.
Furthermore, he is asking for 5% interest monthly until the total sum is fully paid.
His legal team argues that the agency’s actions were not only unconstitutional but also damaging to his public image and emotional well-being.
