Speed Darlington Sparks National Outrage After Claiming He Slept With a Minor, Later Claims It Was a Publicity Stunt 

Nigerian musician Speed Darlington, popularly known as Akpi, has come under fire after a livestream clip of him claiming he slept with a 15-year-old girl went viral. He has retracted the statement, saying it was a made-up story meant to stir controversy and promote his latest song.

The controversial entertainer addressed the backlash in a follow-up video, admitting that his claim was untrue. He said he fabricated the story to gain attention and create hype around his new song.

“I’m an artiste and I need controversy to eat. If your name isn’t relevant, you don’t get booked, simple. Nobody books someone who isn’t trending, and I have a new song, and the song is about sex.”

According to Darlington, creating shock value is part of his marketing strategy. He emphasised that his music isn’t for a conservative audience and that he relies on controversy to stay visible.

“This is my genre, I don’t do Christian music, so when I drop songs about sex, I need content to push it. That’s what I was doing, so don’t give it more light than it’s supposed to have, okay?”

He offered a brief apology to anyone who felt offended, while justifying his actions as necessary in a highly competitive industry.

“If any of you are offended, apologies. If a million people want to be artists, you have to stand out and you have to be controversial, yes.”

His comments, however, have continued to draw criticism. Many Nigerians were outraged by his initial claim, sparking deeper conversations online about the seriousness of sexual abuse and the importance of consent.

The Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA) weighed in on the issue, confirming that the matter has been referred to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), which has now summoned Darlington for questioning.

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Chinalurumogu Eze

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