Police defy court order, refuse to release Speed Darlington

Forty-eight hours after embattled singer Darlington Achakpo popularly known as Speed Darlington was granted bail by the Federal High Court in Abuja, his lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, has alleged that despite the court order, the police have refused to release the singer.

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PREMIUM TIMES reported that Speed Darlington was arrested on 27 November on allegations of cyberstalking Grammy Award winner Burna Boy. After spending nearly a month in police detention, the Federal High Court granted him bail on Monday, but his continued detention has sparked outrage among his legal team and supporters.

In an X post on Thursday, Mr Adeyanju expressed frustration, stating, “The Nigerian Police have refused to release Speed Darlington, a.k.a. Akpi, despite the explicit order of the Federal High Court to do so. This is the highest form of disrespect to the judiciary.”

Court order

The court order, which Mr Adeyanju also shared, was issued by Justice M.S. Liman of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday, 23 December.

In the fundamental rights enforcement suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1832/202, Speed Darlington sued the Inspector General of Police as the defendant.

The plaintiff, who alleged the violations of his rights by the police, also applied to the court for an unconditional release from custody.

Ruling on the application on Monday, the judge gave the police 48 hours to either release him or charge him in court.

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“The Applicant is to be charged to court within 48 hours or released unconditionally before the hearing of the substantive application,” the court ordered and adjourned further proceedings till 6 January 2025 for a hearing.

“The hearing notice is to be served to the Respondents,” he ordered.

Despite this directive, the police have yet to comply.

When this newspaper reached out to another of Speed Darlington’s lawyer, Mr Alieke, on Thursday to ask why the Police reportedly defied the court order, he stated that “the police are better suited to explain why he has not been released.” Attempts to contact Mr Adeyanju to address his claims were unsuccessful.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Olumuyiwa Adejobi did not respond to PREMIUM TIMES’ request for comments on Thursday.

Unconditional bail

In an interview with this newspaper on Monday, Stanley Alieke emphasised that the bail granted was unconditional and should have led to the singer’s immediate release.

He outlined that the bail process requires the court’s ruling to be served to relevant parties, including the police, who must then notify the investigating department. However, Darlington was not arraigned in court, violating the court’s directive.

Mr Alieke criticised the arrest as unwarranted, arguing that it was a civil matter that should have been resolved through legal channels without police involvement. Despite the court’s explicit order to release Darlington or charge him within 48 hours, the police have neither complied nor offered any explanation for their actions.

READ ALSO: BurnaBoy: Finally, Speed Darlington granted bail after month-long detention

Background

Speed Darlington’s arrest stemmed from a legal dispute with Burna Boy, which escalated in October 2024 when Darlington allegedly mocked Burna Boy’s association with American rapper Diddy, who was entangled in legal troubles with the FBI.

This led to a diss track titled Baby Oil, which criticised Burna Boy and gained traction on Spotify Nigeria’s Top 100.

The feud deepened when Darlington demanded an apology from Burna Boy’s mother and N12 million in compensation.

His subsequent arrest on 27 November during a performance in Owerri, Imo State, has been described by his legal team as a misuse of police power. The case has been adjourned till 6 January 2025 for further hearing.