‘Speed Darlington will never beg Burna Boy, we won’t support that’

Stanley Alieke, the counsel to Nigerian rapper Darlington ‘Speed Darlington’ Okoye, has disclosed what his client will not do in the ongoing defamation case between him and his colleague, Burna Boy.

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that Speed Darlington was arrested and detained by the police after accusing Burna Boy of allegedly engaging in an inappropriate relationship with embattled American rapper and music executive Diddy.

The trial of the singer, released on Tuesday after being granted bail weeks earlier, is scheduled to resume on 18 March at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

In an interview with BBC Pidgin posted on Facebook Thursday, Speed Darlington’s lawyer revealed that the singer will not attempt to plead with the ‘Last Last’ crooner.

He said: “Speed Darlington will never beg Burna Boy, and as his counsel, we will never support him because of all he has suffered. He won’t even agree if I advise him to beg Burna Boy. I cannot even advise him to do so because the matter is already in court. Whether he begs or not, it is now within the court’s jurisdiction to determine if what Speed Darlington said defamed Burna Boy.

“If he begs, it would mean he has pleaded guilty because Burna Boy’s petition against him claims that what he said damaged his international reputation and caused him to lose endorsements. Why didn’t Burna Boy initiate a civil action in court instead? The court could have equated any damages to financial compensation.”

Speed Darlington’s losses

Additionally, Mr Alieke stated that Speed Darlington’s prolonged detention caused him (Speedy) financial losses and that his legal team had filed a suit seeking financial compensation to enforce fundamental human rights.

This newspaper reported that Speed Darlington filed a N300 million fundamental rights enforcement suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja against the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

However, the case was adjourned to 27 January after the IGP’s lawyer requested more time to review new evidence.

“No amount they give him can equal the hardship he has suffered. They made him miss December and January shows—about 20 events he was invited to. We will present these issues to the court, as some of the show organisers had already paid him. After his release, people started sending him messages demanding refunds of their money, like N5 million, N2 million, etc.

“These are the issues we will address before even discussing the infringement of his human rights. Even if we increase the claim to N1 billion, Speed Darlington is a person of international standard, and they subjected him to unnecessary suffering,” said Mr Alieke.

He alleged that his client was being held in a facility meant for criminals awaiting trial despite the police being obligated to grant him administrative bail at the time of his arrest.

He noted, “Some people were saying that it serves him right because he talks carelessly, but no matter what, that does not mean the police should keep him for that number of days or subject him to such hardship.

“They kept him in an Abattoir at the SARS office in Abuja, where Boko Haram members, Fulani herdsmen, and other criminals awaiting trial are held, just because they wanted to break him.”

Background

Speed Darlington was arrested on 27 November 2024 during a performance in Owerri, stemming from his feud with Burna Boy in October 2024.

The feud began after Darlington mocked Burna Boy’s connection to Diddy, who was embroiled in FBI-related issues at the time.

The incident sparked a diss track titled ‘Baby Oil’, a scathing musical response from Darlington that gained significant traction on Spotify Nigeria. The conflict escalated when Darlington demanded an apology from Burna Boy’s mother and N12 million in compensation.

After nearly a month in detention, the court ordered his release or an appearance within 48 hours on 23 December 2024, a significant legal development.

At a hearing on 6 January, the court reiterated its order for his release and permitted his lawyer to act as surety. Despite this, the police reportedly obstructed attempts to fulfil the bail conditions on 7 January.

On 15 January, the court granted Darlington bail at N20 million, requiring a Level 10 civil servant as surety.

He was also instructed to surrender his passport and photographs and to remain in Kuje prison until the bail conditions were satisfied. His trial was subsequently scheduled for 18 March.

In a separate development, Darlington filed a N300 million lawsuit against the Inspector-General of Police, accusing the force of violating his rights.