Speed Darlington, a well-known singer, is facing intense backlash after a viral Instagram live video showed him seemingly confessing to the abuse of a 15-year-old girl.
The incident, which he recounted in Igbo, has sparked immediate responses from the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency as well as the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons.
Speed Darlington recalled an incident in the unsettling video where he claimed to have slept with a 15-year-old virgin girl at a hotel approximately ten years ago, leaving sheets covered in blood.
He mentioned that he paid N2,000 to the hotel staff to have the sheets replaced and expressed his strong dislike for working for others, particularly in a hotel, saying, “Before they could come change the sheets for me, I had to give N2,000. Because the thing is somehow, to tell an adult to come and clean blood that I brought out of the body of a 15-year-old girl. I can never work for anybody, lai lai. I only work for myself.”
In response to the viral footage, the Lagos DSVA released a statement on their official X handle, addressing the “disturbing video currently circulating online.”
The agency pointed out that since the entertainer did not disclose the location of the incident, their jurisdiction is limited to Lagos State, but confirmed that the case has been referred to NAPTIP for further action.
The statement read, “The Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency is aware of the disturbing video currently circulating online, in which a popular entertainer allegedly admits to engaging in unlawful sexual activity with a minor.
“While the individual in question did not specify the location of the incident during the Instagram Live session, we must clarify that the DSVA’s jurisdiction is limited to Lagos State.
“In view of the above, and in line with our commitment to justice, we have escalated the situation to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons.”
The DSVA reaffirmed the Lagos State Government’s “zero-tolerance stance against all forms of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence and will continue to advocate for accountability and the protection of every Nigerian child.”
NAPTIP also reacted to the video on X.com, stating, “This is not a skit right? if not, we are sure #Lagosdsva will look into this to the very end.”
The Lagos DSVA quickly responded with, “We are in this together o!”, signaling a joint commitment to investigating the allegation.
Both agencies also called on the public to provide any information that may aid the ongoing investigations.
Speed Darlington has a history of controversy surrounding allegations of inappropriate conduct with minors.
In 2022, Speed Darlington disclosed during an Instagram live that he had a confrontation with a neighbor who accused him of being too close to a 16-year-old girl.
The singer recorded himself inside his living room holding a knife and threatening two women standing outside his apartment, saying, “They continually invade my privacy, opening my window, opening my curtain. I’m alone, two people attacking me.”
One of the women, also filming him, was heard saying, “You’ve met your match. Speed comes outside. I will deal with you; I will deal with you. Why are you running? Continue your live video, let them know you’re a rapist. You want to start messaging a 16-year-old girl, a house girl. Open this door, come out.”
