Written by Jenifatu, Ololade and Precious of the DOHS Femicide Research Hub
We are deeply disturbed by the continuous lackadaisical statements made by Nigerian musician Speed Darlington, a 41-year-old man, who described how a 15 year old girl he raped bled so much that the entire bedspread was stained with blood, an evidence that this was a violent assault. Further investigations revealed that he has been involved in prior allegations of attempted defilement of minors as two years ago, in another livestream, he recounted how a woman confronted him for texting her 16-year-old ward.
Such revelations are horrific, considering the fact that such a dangerous person is still allowed to walk free, potentially posing a danger to other young girls. The fact that he could casually make a statement about raping a child, who was probably trafficked, completely abhorrent.
It is disheartening to see rapists and pedophiles bold-facedly boast about their crimes in Nigeria, whereas in saner climes, such an individual would be imprisoned for such a despicable act, A step which we urge the Nigerian Law enforcement agencies to urgently take.
We note that He has since released a video claiming his confession was for “clout.” This does not matter; Rape Is Not a Subject For Entertainment. His statements normalize violence against children.
We call on the Nigerian Police and the Police in the countries he has lived, especially the United States, to beam a searchlight on his past and present activities and thoroughly investigate these allegations for Justice to be served. According to the VAPP Act 2015, the age of consent is 18; any adult complicit in engaging in sex with anyone under the age of 18 is liable for defilement, as children cannot give consent.
We stand in solidarity with victims of sexual violence and advocate for their rights and well-being. We hope that the survivor(s) in question can reach out to us or any nearby organisations dedicated to combating sexual violence in pursuance of justice.
We demand that authorities ensure the law takes its full course and use this case as a deterrent to warn other potential offenders as no one, celebrity or not, is above the Law.
DOHS FEMICIDE OBSERVATORY.