I Didn’t Sleep With a 15-Year-Old Girl, It Was Just a Cruise: Speed Darlington Walks Back Viral Confession After Backlash
Controversial Nigerian musician and internet personality, Speed Darlington, has found himself at the center of a storm once again. This time, it is over a self-recorded video in which he appeared to confess to having sexual relations with a 15-year-old girl—an act that sparked national outrage, social media condemnation, and calls for his immediate arrest.
However, in what many see as a damage control attempt, Speed Darlington, born Darlington Okoye, has now issued a follow-up statement and video in which he claimed the entire confession was staged for clout, controversy, and promotion of his latest music release.
“All my followers pissed off about the video I recorded in which I spoke about me sleeping with a 15-year-old, I am an artiste. I need controversy to eat. If you are not trending, you are not getting booked. Simple! Nobody is booking something that is not trending,” he said in a self-filmed Instagram video on Wednesday, May 28.
Speed Darlington’s statement comes after a week of intense criticism, with child protection groups, media commentators, and even some entertainers expressing disgust and calling on law enforcement to investigate the claims. In the now-viral original video, the artiste described in disturbing detail what he alleged was a sexual encounter with a minor. The brazen tone and lack of remorse shocked many, and demands for accountability poured in from multiple quarters.
“This is not just distasteful, it is criminal,” said Cynthia Ekeh, the director of a Lagos-based child advocacy group, in response to the initial video. “You cannot joke about statutory rape. You cannot use children as tools for publicity, musical promotion or controversy. This must be investigated thoroughly.”
Following mounting public outrage, Speed Darlington posted the follow-up video where he retracted his earlier statements, describing the original video as a “cruise”—a slang term often used in Nigeria to describe actions done for laughs or attention rather than sincerity. He claimed the disturbing story was merely a promotional gimmick to help his new single gain traction.
“I have a new song now. The song is talking about f#ck this, f#ck that. This is my genre. I do not perform Christian music. When I dropped my song, I needed f#ck contents to push it. That is what I was doing. Don’t give it more than it is supposed to have. If any of you are offended, it’s alright. Apologies,” he said.
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Legal experts and civil society groups have raised concerns about the normalization of paedophilia-themed content under the guise of entertainment.
“Whether or not he actually committed the act, Speed Darlington’s initial video amounts to self-incrimination or, at the very least, a dangerous misuse of influence. Public confessions of such nature cannot go unchallenged,” said Barrister Timilehin Akintayo, a human rights lawyer in Abuja. “The Nigerian Police Force must investigate. This is not something to sweep under the carpet.”
Online platforms like X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, and Instagram were flooded with reactions from outraged Nigerians, with the hashtag #ArrestSpeedDarlington trending for hours on Wednesday afternoon. Some users shared screenshots of the original video while calling on Nigeria’s child protection services and police cybercrime units to act swiftly.
Others, including fellow artists and influencers, criticized the singer’s unrepentant tone and his decision to double down by framing the confession as content marketing.
“Speed Darlington is not just a clown anymore. He’s dangerous. There should be limits to what people say or do in the name of promotion,” tweeted popular comedian Mr Macaroni. “This is why some people should never have platforms.”
Sexual contact with minors in Nigeria is considered statutory rape and is a criminal offense under the Nigerian Criminal Code and Child Rights Act. The punishment for such an offense is often life imprisonment.
Legal experts say that even admitting to such a crime, whether in jest or not, may lead to criminal investigations.
“He may claim he was joking, but the implication of the words used and the vividness of the descriptions matter. This goes beyond social media clout. A proper investigation needs to determine if there’s a real victim behind this so-called cruise,” said Lagos-based legal analyst Adaora Nwankwo.
Speed Darlington has long been known for courting controversy. From viral spats with other artists, rants on Instagram Live, to eccentric music videos, his career has often been defined more by antics than artistry.
Yet, this latest stunt has prompted many to ask—how far is too far? While shock marketing has long been a feature of the entertainment industry, especially in the age of social media, few would argue that joking about child sex abuse is acceptable.
“I don’t care if he says it was a joke. That joke was sick. That man is sick,” wrote user @FolaSings on X. “No girl child should ever be in his proximity.”
Even though the artist has now offered a tepid apology, many remain unconvinced.
“There is nothing apologetic in what he said. That was a justification, not an apology. He wants clicks, not forgiveness,” said media personality Shade Ladipo during a panel on Rhythm FM’s “Entertainment Weekly.”
At press time, the Nigerian Police Force and National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) had not issued any public statement on the incident.
However, a senior police source who asked to remain anonymous told our correspondent that the Force is aware of the viral video and that “preliminary assessments are being made” to determine whether it warrants a criminal investigation.
Meanwhile, several petitions have reportedly been submitted to the National Human Rights Commission and the Lagos State Ministry of Youth and Social Development, urging immediate action.
The Nigerian music and entertainment industry, already battling image crises ranging from drug abuse to accusations of ritualistic content, is now grappling with how to deal with artists like Speed Darlington who push the envelope in ways many consider morally repugnant.
Some entertainers have called for the artist to be blacklisted from public events and brand sponsorships. Others have encouraged social media platforms to take down his content.
“If Instagram and X don’t act, then they are complicit. You can’t allow people to use your platform to spread paedophilic content and then hide behind ‘it’s just a skit,’” said Nollywood actress and activist, Kate Henshaw.
Even among Speed Darlington’s followers, there appears to be growing disillusionment. Several fan pages that once celebrated his content have gone offline or rebranded since the incident.
The final question remains: Will Speed Darlington face any real consequences for what he claims was “just a joke”? Or will the Nigerian entertainment industry continue to reward controversy over content, shock over substance?
“We’re in an era where trending is more important than talent. But even in the search for virality, there must be a red line. And that line should be drawn at the exploitation or imagined abuse of children,” said music critic Ayo Shonaiya.
For now, Speed Darlington’s apology has done little to douse the anger, and many Nigerians are still calling for a proper investigation, even as others debate whether the singer’s confession should be taken literally or dismissed as tasteless theatrics.
Either way, what is clear is that the incident has reignited conversations about the ethics of content creation, the influence of celebrity culture, and how far entertainers are willing to go in a desperate bid for relevance.
