Speed Darlington’s arrest is misuse of power, driven by personal ego, not justice- Deji Adeyanju

‘‘... Now, they went to Owerri to arrest him and took him to Abuja, all because of the ego of one person claiming to be the Fela of Ojuelegba’’.

On Thursday, singer, Speed Darlington’s lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, said his client’s arrest was a blatant misuse of power. Mr Adeyanju said this during an interview with media personality Daddy Freeze, which was monitored by PREMIUM TIMES.

Mr Adeyanju had confirmed his client’s rearrest in an interview with PREMIUM TIMES on Wednesday and revealed that it was on Burna Boy’s order. It is the second time Speed Darlington has been arrested following a feud with musician Burna Boy.

Mr Adeyanju confirmed that the arrest was made in Owerri during Speed Darlington’s end-of-year musical show and that he was subsequently transferred to Abuja.

However, while speaking in the Live session with Daddy Freeze, Mr Adeyanju elaborated on influential figures’ misuse of law enforcement. He criticised the culture of using police to settle personal scores, describing it as a “jungle justice” approach. He emphasised that public figures should expect criticism and mockery and that legal avenues, rather than police intervention, should be used to address defamation.

He said, “In the first instance when Speed was arrested earlier, he was detained for four days. They arrested him in Lagos four days later and brought him to Abuja. Now, they went to Owerri to arrest him and took him to Abuja, all because of the ego of one person claiming to be the Fela of Ojuelegba’’.

Background

The dispute between Speed Darlington and Burna Boy began in October. Speed Darlington was first arrested for allegedly cyberstalking Burna Boy. The feud escalated when Speed Darlington mocked Burna Boy’s association with American rapper Diddy, who had been arrested on multiple charges, including sexual exploitation and questioned the legitimacy of his Grammy win.

Despite his initial release on bail, Speed Darlington continued to provoke Burna Boy on social media. In one video, he demanded a public apology from Burna Boy’s mother and financial compensation.

“If you want this issue to end, call your mummy to come on television and beg me, just as my mother kneeled to beg you. Also, pay me N12 million, and I’ll stop dragging you,” he said.

Repression

Mr Adeyanju, who has been a human rights advocate for nearly three decades, drew from his own experiences to highlight the issue of repression in Nigeria. He noted that public figures must develop thicker skin when faced with criticism or mockery.

“Once you are a famous person, you are a public person; you are a politician, a public figure, and you must always expect criticism. You must at all times expect people to mock you. So, for me personally, people who follow me on social media know that I even retweet insults. Civilisation demands that you seek civil legal remedies whenever you are insulted, dishonest, ridiculed, or mocked. Even if the police get involved, the Supreme Court, the plethora of cases, have you know, said that the remedies for defamation are passed on now.

“Suppose the court were to pronounce because the idea of remedies for libel is that it will restore the person defamed to the previous state. How does the state benefit if you use police to harass someone who allegedly defends you, somebody who insulted you, or somebody that you felt you had slighted you by their comments, whether fair or otherwise? And what will be the propriety or otherwise of your action?’’ he said.