Speed Darlington granted bail after alleged defamation of Burna Boy

The news of Darlington’s detention gained traction earlier this week, particularly after a viral video emerged showing a woman identifying herself as Miss Queen and claiming to be his mother appealing for his safe return. In her plea, she suggested that Burna Boy might be involved in her son’s detention, fuelling public concern and debate.

Miss Queen’s concerns were supported by local activist and lawyer Deji Adeyanju, who confirmed on social media that Speed Darlington was being detained by the Nigerian Police Force. He reported that after after gaining access to Darlington, the musician said he was arrested in Lagos, moved multiple times, and ultimately taken to Abuja. “We can confirm that the petition against him was written by Burna Boy,” Adeyanju added.

In a tweet confirming Speed Darlington’s release, following his intervention to help meet the bail conditions set by the police at the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) in Abuja, Adeyanju expressed appreciation for the huge support received and acknowledged the IRT team for their professionalism.

The allegations of defamation stem from comments Speed Darlington made in a video weeks ago, where he questioned Burna Boy’s 2021 Grammy win for his fifth album Twice as Tall, co-executive produced by embattled US rapper and record executive Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs. Darlington jokingly referenced oil to suggest that the effort behind Burna Boy’s Grammy win might be questionable, linking this to Combs’ recent legal issues, including serious sexual abuse allegations and the seizure of over 1 000 bottles of baby oil, while implying that Burna Boy may have been compromised in working with Combs.

Darlington has yet to address his detainment publicly, and Burna Boy has also remained silent on the issue. Meanwhile, social media is rife with debates about celebrity rivalries and the limits of free speech within Nigeria’s entertainment industry.

“Nobody should be arrested by the police for expressing their views or opinions,” Adeyanju said on Tuesday, in the wake of news of Darlington’s disappearance. “We urge the authorities to stop the clampdown on freedom of speech in Nigeria.”