For more than a week now, social media has been abuzz with claims that Grammy-winning Nigerian artist Burna Boy orchestrated the arrest of fellow singer and content creator Speed Darlington. What transpired between the two during the past few days has gotten some tongues wagging about how much power and influence a celebrity wields over law enforcement in Nigeria. Let’s look into the facts surrounding this controversial case.
So What Started The Clash Between Speed Darlington and Burna Boy?
In early October 2024, authorities reportedly arrested and detained Speed Darlington, whose real name is Darlington Okoye, for several days. The arrest came after he posted a video questioning Burna Boy’s relationship with American music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs. Diddy is currently facing multiple charges of sexual exploitation.
Darlington’s provocative video suggested that there’s a potential connection between Burna Boy’s 2021 Grammy win for his album “Twice As Tall” (which Diddy co-produced) and alleged sexual favors.
“After Burna Boy posted a photo of him and Diddy that year, Burna won Grammy. Burna Boy, don’t be offended, but how many oils did Diddy use on you before they gave you the Grammy Award?”
The “oils” in question are in reference to the 1000 baby oils seized by US authorities from the Bad Boy Records founder’s residence during a March raid. This content, deemed defamatory by some, led to Darlington’s arrest on charges of cyberstalking. According to human rights lawyer Deji Adeyanju, Speed Darlington was initially arrested in Lagos and then transferred to Abuja. There he was held by the Intelligence Response Team (IRT). The artist was released after five days in detention, having met bail conditions set by the police.
Why Do People Think That Burna Boy Was Involved In The Arrest Of Speed Darlington?
Before Darlington’s arrest was confirmed, many were worried that he had gone missing for three days, starting from October 7th. However, after Burna Boy posted a cryptic tweet asking “Who’s missing?” shortly after Darlington’s reported disappearance, many speculated about the former’s involvement.
The controversy even gained more traction when Darlington’s mother released a video pleading for her son’s release. She claimed that Burna Boy and his team had taken him from his home in the now viral video.
“Good day, Nigerians. My name is Mrs. Queen, Speed Darlington’s mother. I just got information that my son is missing. His gateman called my family and notified them that he made a video about Burna Boy on the internet, so he told them that Burna Boy came with his team and picked Speed Darlington up from his house.”
Additionally, Sahara Reporters wrote in one of their reports that lawyer Adeyanju claims that he read a petition written by Burna Boy against Darlington.
How Is The Public Reacting To This?
For now, the public opinion is still divided. Some view the arrest as a justified response to online harassment and defamation. Others see it as an abuse of power and a threat to freedom of speech. Some users on X are even claiming that Burna Boy had “ordered” the arrest of Darlington. Comments online read:
VeryDarkMan, a popular influencer/human rights activist, has also spoken out in an Instagram video about how Nigerian police are being used to oppress the country’s citizens.
What About The Police? What Is Their Response To This?
The Nigeria Police Force, specifically the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command, has denied reports that Burna Boy ordered Speed Darlington’s arrest. Spokesperson Josephine Adeh emphasized that no individual has the power to “order” the police to arrest someone. She stated that arrests are made based on thorough investigations, not personal vendettas.
So while it’s clear that Speed Darlington was arrested following his controversial posts about Burna Boy, the exact role the Grammy-winning artist played in this incident remains unclear. As of the time of writing, Burna Boy himself has not made any public statement directly addressing the incident.