Speed Darlington speaks on police detention, Burna Boy’s alleged role

Outspoken Nigerian singer Darlington Okoye, popularly known as Speed Darlington, says he has no feud with the Afrobeats star Burna Boy but alleged that the latter facilitated his arrest by the police. He also said he was treated unfairly by the Nigerian police.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that the singer, also known as Akpi, was arrested on 4 October, following the release of a contentious video in which he allegedly mocked Burna Boy’s association with American rapper Diddy, who has faced legal issues with the FBI over charges of sexual exploitation.

Darlington, 39, was arrested over allegations of “defamation and cyberstalking” of Burna Boy but was released on bail on 8 October.

Breaking his silence since his arrest, the singer addressed his fans for the first time during an Instagram Live session on Tuesday.

No Beef

During the live session, Darlington sought to clarify what happened between him and the “Last Last” hitmaker.

“Let me just be direct, I have no beef with Burna Boy. Me and Burna Boy are not quarrelling, nor are we enemies. It is the Nigerian Police that did me dirty. They are still withholding my phone at the moment, and I do not have access to it,” he said.

Commenting further on the alleged tension with Burna Boy, Darlington claimed that the Afrobeats star saw him as a “threat” and went to great lengths to have him arrested.

He said he believes he is more successful than Burna Boy, saying that while the Afrobeats star spends large sums on blogs to enhance his image, he (Darlington) possesses a natural influence.

“He [Burna Boy] felt like I was spoiling something for him. The amount of effort Burna Boy put into this case…the amount of effort he put in to have his balls…I feel like I’m even more made and successful than him. He pays big money to blogs to push him, but I’m way bigger than him.

“But you (viewers), on the outside looking in, won’t see it. I’m stronger than Burna Boy. Back in 2016, they used to call me gay because I usually attended events alone, and they thought I was gay. The same thing happened to Burna, and now he’s calling the police. I’m stronger than him.”

Unaware of offence

Speaking further about the allegation of cyberstalking levelled against him, Darlington said, “I wasn’t aware of the cybercrime law. It surprised me that such laws exist. It’s childish for someone to get upset over an insult. If you’re a mature person, why would you be angry because someone insulted you?”

Statement to Police

The 39-year-old singer also alleged that while in custody, the police attempted to get him to write a second statement about the comments of pro-separatists online against his arrest.

“The police tried to make me write a second statement after I had already written the first one. They wanted me to comment on pro-IPOB members who were posting about my arrest online.

“I told them, ‘Why should I write about that when they’ve already taken my phone, and I’ve been with them the whole time?’ It’s not my responsibility for what others post online.

“I want to thank Sowore, who got me the lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, to advocate and represent me for my release. I also want to thank everyone who stood by me and my fans who tweeted about my arrest.”

When fans asked why he wasn’t using his main account, Darlington explained that an assistant commissioner of police still has his phone, and he’s pushing for its return. He used his backup account, “20takeoffs,” instead of his main “SpeedDarlingtonTv” for the live session.

Before the session, this newspaper’s checks show that Darlington made a post featuring “baby oil,” which many took as a reference to Diddy. In the pre-live post, Darlington defiantly stated that he had survived “ground zero” and questioned what more Burna Boy could do to him.

Background

Fans became aware of Speed Darlington’s situation after his mother shared a viral video accusing Burna Boy of orchestrating her son’s arrest over a video he posted online.

In the alleged “defamatory” video, Darlington questioned how Burna Boy secured his Grammy award for his 2020 album Twice As Tall, executive produced by Diddy and Burna Boy’s mother, Bose Ogulu.

Darlington said, “It wasn’t long after Burna Boy posted a photo with Diddy that he won the Grammy. I’m just wondering, Burna Boy, I’m asking you a question. No vex. How much oil did Diddy drop on you before they gave you the trophy? Burna Boy, tell the truth.”

Amidst concerns about Darlington’s whereabouts, Burna Boy fuelled speculation with a cryptic post on X (formerly Twitter): “Who’s missing?”

The post sparked widespread debate, with many assuming that Burna Boy was involved in Darlington’s detention. As of press time, Burna Boy has yet to address the accusations.

According to lawyer and activist Deji Adeyanju, Speed Darlington was arrested in Lagos and was later transferred to Abuja. Mr Adeyanju confirmed that the petition leading to Darlington’s arrest was filed by Burna Boy.

After several days in custody, Darlington was released following Mr Adeyanju’s intervention. The lawyer helped him meet the bail conditions set by the police at the Intelligence Response Team’s (IRT) department in Abuja.

Darlington is popular for his work as an entertainer and rapper, with several songs to his name, including “Greatest Tank Battle,” “My Party,” “Hustle Hard,” and “Let’s Dance.”