On Sunday night, amid his escalating feud with Burna Boy, nightlife entrepreneur Pascal Okechukwu, popularly known as Cubana Chief Priest, vowed to secure the release of embattled rapper Speed Darlington.
He wrote, ‘‘Tomorrow we are coming for you, Akpi Nwamama. Monday is almost here. Let’s now showcase power.”
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Cubana Chief Priest’s bold declaration was a response to Burna Boy’s perceived displays of generosity, including gifting $30,000 to his (Cubana’s) alleged brother, Bethel Okechukwu, and offering financial and material support to Hellen, his alleged Kenyan baby mama.
Speed Darlington, however, has remained in detention for one month and ten days for alleged cyberstalking and defamation of Burna Boy despite a court order granting him bail on Christmas Eve. His lawyers have lamented his continued detention.
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On Monday, an accelerated hearing was held at the Federal High Court in Abuja. Speed Darlington’s lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, told PREMIUM TIMES that the judgment had been delivered in his client’s favour.
Mr Adeyanju said, “The Federal High Court has directed the Nigerian Police to comply with the order to release Speed Darlington immediately pending the hearing of the substantive matter. The court further directs Abubakar Marshal, Esq. to stand as surety to Akpi (Speed Darlington). Alternatively, he should be arraigned immediately.”
Mr Adeyanju also disclosed that the Cubana Chief Priest had been in touch with Darlington’s legal team since his public vow on Sunday.
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The legal counsel said, “The Cubana chief priest has contacted me. The idea is just to make Darlington enjoy his freedom.
“Speed Darlington’s case is a typical example of how police disregard the rule of law and how you can do away with it once you’re powerful. He did not kill anybody; what a parody of some sort. The police are just shameless because this should be embarrassing enough.”
Long road to freedom
Despite securing a favourable court ruling, Speed Darlington’s lawyer says the police’s refusal to comply with the initial bail order has prolonged his ordeal.
His continued detention, despite a Federal High Court order, has sparked outrage among his legal team, including Adeyanju and Stanley Alieke, and supporters, who have criticised the police for prolonging his detention and described it as an apparent misuse of authority.
Burna Boy faced criticism for perceived double standards, with Speed Darlington’s lawyers accusing him of targeting the rapper for similar comments made by Cubana Chief Priest.
Lawyer Stanley Alieke on Saturday challenged Burna Boy to take equivalent legal action against Cubana, saying, “Hey, another person with more reach and influence just referenced the baby oil and Diddy banter, so the world is expecting you to engage the police and arrest him. Since your modus operandi or the streets will interpret it as cowardice.”
Mr Alieke’s remarks highlight the double standard in Burna Boy’s approach, as he had earlier claimed that the Diddy and baby oil accusations damaged his reputation and caused him to lose gigs.
Similarly, Mr Adeyanju later criticised Burna Boy for not taking the same legal action against Cubana Chief Priest as he did against Darlington.
Netizens have even characterised Burna Boy’s gestures toward Cubana’s alleged brother and Kenyan baby mama as acts of generosity toward the less privileged. They have called on content creator Lucky Udu, who highlighted the case of the brother and baby mama, to share similar stories in hopes of catching the Afrobeats star’s attention and prompting further acts of kindness.
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Background
PREMIUM TIMES reported how Burna Boy and Cubana Chief Priest clashed on Friday after Burna Boy referred to Cubana as an “Azaman,” implying he was merely a middleman.
Burna Boy also described Cubana as a Rick Ross version of the East and hinted at his potential arrest, referencing past incidents. In response, Cubana accused Burna Boy of bitterness and questioned the legitimacy of his Grammy win, echoing allegations previously raised by Speed Darlington.
Speed Darlington’s arrest results from a legal dispute with Burna Boy, which began in October when Darlington allegedly ridiculed Burna Boy’s association with American rapper Diddy, who was facing legal issues 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.
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