"I've reached out to my political friends here in Abuja. I've reached out to everyone. I wonder why people are trying not to get involved in this case".
More than forty-eight hours after embattled singer Speed Darlington was granted bail by the Federal High Court, his lawyers, Deji Adeyanju and Stan Alieke, have lamented and alleged that despite the court order, the police have refused to release the singer.
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 Instagram post on Thursday, Mr Alieke expressed frustration over the lack of support for Speed Darlington's case despite exhausting all his connections.
The rapper's lawyer said, "We've gone to court and done everything a lawyer should do to get his client out. I have even exhausted my connections. I've reached out to my political friends here in Abuja. I've reached out to everyone. I wonder why people are trying not to get involved in this case and are saying, 'Look, Akpi (Speed Darlington) insulted us before; Akpi did this before.' It's nonsense. Everyone is trying to say he got what was coming to him, and so what?
"Just imagine your brother being in detention for more than a month now over the fact that he allegedly insulted someone, and people are celebrating, jubilating, and saying, 'Okay, Akpi talks anyhow.' Someone even told me not to get involved because Akpi had insulted me. But I've known Akpi for over five years, and I've been his lawyer. I know him better than the people talking online."
Defied court order
Mr Alieke added he had no idea why the police were refusing to obey the court order and release Speed Darlington, noting that the court ruled on Monday that the police should release or arraign him within the next 48 hours.
He said, "I have no idea why the police are refusing to obey the court order and release that guy (Speed Darlington). The court ruled on Monday that the police should release or arraign him within the next 48 hours. Okay, we didn't count yesterday because they said it was a Christmas holiday and, to that extent, a public holiday. So, it shouldn't be counted. Today, we counted Tuesday, but we didn't count Wednesday. Today (Thursday) makes it 48 working hours. Yet, the police refuse to grant him bail or obey the court order--either to grant him bail or arraign him before the court. Now he has spent Christmas there."
Likewise, 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."
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 suit filed, with suit no. FHC/ABJ/CS/1832/202, by Darlington Achakpo (Speed Darlington) against the Inspector General of Police, the court declared the singer's arrest and detention as a "gross violation" of his fundamental rights, including his rights to dignity, personal liberty, freedom of expression, and movement, as guaranteed under Chapter IV of the Nigerian Constitution.
The court's order read, "A declaration that the arrest and detention of the Applicants by officers of the Respondent constitutes a gross violation of the Applicant's rights to dignity of human persons, right to personal liberty, right to freedom of expression and right to freedom of movement and as guaranteed under Chapter IV of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).
"A declaration that the continuous and unlawful detention of the Applicant by officers of the Respondent at the Respondent's detention facility without presenting him before a court of competent jurisdiction amounts to a violation of his fundamental rights as guaranteed under Chapter IV of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).
"An order of this Honourable Court directing the Respondent to immediately and unconditionally release the Applicant from the Respondent's detention facility where he is being kept.
The court's ruling stated: "The Applicant is to be charged to court within 48 hours or released unconditionally before the hearing of the substantive application. This matter is adjourned to the 6th day of January 2025 for a hearing. The hearing notice is to be served to the Respondents."
Get counter-order
In his Instagram post, Mr Alieke lamented that the police have no excuse for letting personal grievances influence their actions. They should have sought a counter-order or asked the court to set aside the previous one.
The rapper's lawyer said, "Now, by all standards, the person handling this case is a Deputy Commissioner of Police (no name mentioned) who became a Senior Advocate of Nigeria as of last year--despite being a police officer, he is also a senior lawyer. He should advise his principal, the IGP, and the DIG that, once the court has ruled, the court order should be obeyed despite any sentiments or emotional attachment to the case. Grant this guy (Darlington) bail, as the court has instructed.
"If they don't want to do that, they should go to court and get a counter-order. But since then, they have not done that. They have not arraigned him. They have not gone to court to get a counter-order or asked the court to set aside the previous order. They've not granted him bail. There is no justification for this, no matter the grievances."
The legal counsel revealed that he had contacted the IGP and texted Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the Police Force PRO, saying, "This is not the image the Nigeria Police Force should be painting."
He added, "I have no idea why the police are refusing to obey the court order and release that guy (Speed Darlington). The court ruled on Monday that the police should release or arraign him within the next 48 hours. Okay, we didn't count yesterday because they said it was a Christmas holiday and, to that extent, a public holiday. So, it shouldn't be counted. Today, we counted Tuesday, but we didn't count Wednesday. Today (Thursday) makes it 48 working hours. Yet, the police refuse to grant him bail or obey the court order--either to grant him bail or arraign him before the court. Now he has spent Christmas there."
Influential Interference
Mr Alieke alleged that influential persons are involved in Speed Darlington's case, potentially affecting its fairness. He also recalled seeing Burna Boy giving cash to police officers during the first case in October, which he believes could compromise their neutrality and impact Darlington's treatment.
The lawyer said, "I'm fully aware and not oblivious that many influential persons are interested in the matter. I was with Akpi, and I told him, 'A lot of people say they should drill him so that he will stop talking.'
"The truth is, what goes around comes around. So, despite people saying that he calls anyone out and does this or that--someone even said Akpi has blocked everyone--that is not a justification. I understand the logic of 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend,' but that's still not a justification. This could happen to anyone. He allegedly insulted someone. That person should file a civil case, not abuse their power.
"The first time this case (Darlington's) happened when he was first arrested in October, I saw Burna Boy come with his team. I was there with Akpi and some of my staff. After the meeting, I observed Burna Boy come down and distribute bundles of cash to the police while they eagerly asked for selfies. I told my staff who were present, 'If this guy (Akpi) makes any mistake again, these people will drill him.' The way the police, supposed to remain neutral, were going for selfies and accepting bundles of cash was alarming," Mr Alieke decried.
Police react
On Thursday, this newspaper contacted the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) at the Abuja headquarters, Mr Adejobi, to discuss the allegations surrounding the case.
He referred this reporter's enquiry to the Abuja Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) PRO, Funmi Eguaoje, for comment.
In a phone conversation, Ms Eguaoje said, "I am not aware of the case, but if the individual (Speed Darlington) has been granted bail and has not met the bail conditions, they cannot be released. If the case has been taken to court, the court orders determine the bail."
No bail conditions
Reacting to Ms Eguaoje's claims on Thursday, Mr Alieke said: "The police are in the best position to explain why he has not been released. The Force Intelligence Department (FID) in Abuja handles the case. They cannot claim ignorance of the matter as it has been ongoing without interruption."
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Addressing Speed Darlington's bail conditions, Mr Alieke clarified, "There are no outstanding bail conditions; everything has been resolved. The court order clearly states he must be released within 48 hours, yet this directive has not been followed."
He further alleged, "We suspect personal and internal interference in the delay. Waiting until 6 January 2025 is unnecessary when the court ruling is explicit. We've attempted to resolve this diplomatically, but we've heard that even the police DIG contributes to the delays. Unfortunately, the police have a history of disregarding court orders, so this is no surprise."
Meanwhile, in an interview on Monday with this newspaper, Mr Alieke also stressed that the bail granted to Speed Darlington was "unconditional" and should have resulted in his immediate release. He explained that the court's ruling must be served on all relevant parties, including the police, responsible for notifying the investigating department.
The rapper's lawyer condemned the arrest as "unjustified, asserting that the case was a civil matter that did "not warrant police intervention." He argued that the issue should have been addressed through proper legal channels rather than involving law enforcement.
Attempts to contact Mr Adeyanju to address his "Police Defiance" claims proved abortive. 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.
Background
Speed Darlington's arrest stems from a legal dispute with Burna Boy, which escalated in October 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 to 6 January 2025 for further hearing.
