The Nigerian police authorities and personnel involved in the illegal detention of musician, Darlington Okoye, known as Speed Darlington “Akpi” are currently mounting pressure on him to make a video and publicly apologise to a fellow musician, Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu, known as Burna Boy.
The Bureau Newspaper learnt on Thursday that the police authorities in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, where Darlington has been detained, claimed that Burna Boy is a “superstar” and the best step is for the detained musician to apologise.
“The police are mounting pressure on Darlington to make a video and publicly apologise to Burna Boy. They keep telling him Burna Boy is a super star and that he (Darlington) can’t defeat Burna Boy,” a top source in the know of the police case revealed.
The Bureau Newspaper on Wednesday reported that the Nigerian police moved Speed Darlington “Akpi” from Owerri, Imo State, to Abuja, in a plot to inflict more punishment on the musician.
The Bureau Newspaper had learnt that Darlington was being moved to the police Force Intelligence Department (FID) from Owerri.
Top sources had also revealed to The Bureau Newspaper that Dasuki Galadanchi, the Deputy Inspector-General (DIG) in charge of FID had personally taken over Darlington’s case files from the police unit that arrested him before.
The Bureau Newspaper earlier reported that human rights lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, confirmed that Nigerian music star, Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu, popularly known as Burna Boy, was behind the Tuesday’s police harassment and arrest of his client, Darlington “Akpi” in Owerri, Imo State.
Adeyanju, who made the confirmation in a post on his social media handle, had berated Burna Boy for having been producing songs against oppression but suddenly turning into an oppressor of Speed Darlington.
The lawyer had written, “Burna Boy behind harassment of Speed Darlington by the police. This is someone who has been singing against oppression and forming junior Fela now oppressing Akpi.”
Adeyanju had confirmed Speed Darlington’s arrest in a statement posted on his official Facebook page.
Adeyanju wrote, “Our client Speed Darlington a.k.a AKPI has been arrested by the Nigerian police in Owerri at his show upon return to Nigeria.”
He added that Darlington’s arrest occurred during his return to Nigeria for a show.
However, the reasons for the Darlington arrest remained unclear.
Meanwhile, The Bureau Newspaper recently reported that the Nigerian police detained Darlington over alleged cyberstalking of Burna Boy.
Speed Darlington was arrested and detained at the notorious centre of the IGP’s Intelligence Response Team in the Guzape area of Abuja.
The musician was then visited by Adeyanju who also told The Bureau Newspaper that he had seen a petition written against Darlington by afrobeat musician, Burna Boy.
Darlington had been arrested in Lagos and tossed around many police formations in Lagos before he was taken to detention in Abuja by the IRT team who accused him of cyberstalking Burna Boy.
Adeyanju had noted that there was nothing to the petition to warrant Darlington’s arrest.
“I have met Speed Darlington” and he’s in good spirits, we are working to get him released on bail as soon as possible,” Adeyanju had added.
The police ACP investigating the case had told Adeyanju that the police could not release a copy of the petition to him but he let the lawyer read and digest the content.