Court Adjourns Speed Darlington’s N300m Suit Against Police to March

A Federal High Court in Abuja, on the 27th of January, 2025, adjourned proceedings in a dramatic N300 million fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by the controversial singer, Darlington Achakpo, famously known as Speed Darlington, against the Nigeria Police.

The case was adjourned until the 19th of March for the adoption of legal processes.

Presiding over the matter, Justice Musa Liman set the date after counsel for the Inspector-General of Police (I-G), CSP Audu Garba, disclosed that the police had just submitted a further counter-affidavit in response to the singer’s latest affidavit.

However, Rosemary Hamza, representing Speed Darlington, told the court she had not been served the new documents, making it impossible to provide a response.

The lawsuit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1832/2024, pits Speed Darlington against the Inspector-General as the sole respondent. In his appeal, the singer claims his arrest and detention by the police violated his fundamental rights, enshrined in the 1999 Constitution, and seeks four critical orders.

Represented by Deji Adeyanju, Speed Darlington is demanding an order for his immediate and unconditional release from police detention.

Alternatively, he requests that the court compel the I-G to present him in court to evaluate the circumstances of his detention and, if appropriate, grant him bail.

Moreover, he demands N300 million in damages, alleging unlawful detention that he says constitutes general, exemplary, and aggravated harm.

The case has its roots in a petition deposed to by Esther Eyisi, a secretary in Speed Darlington’s legal team.

According to the affidavit, the singer was first arrested on the 4th of October,2024, for allegedly defaming Burna Boy, the internationally acclaimed artist.

Eyisi claimed Speed Darlington endured five days of illegal detention, during which he was allegedly tortured and mistreated without being charged before a competent court.

Although he was granted bail after the five-day ordeal, Eyisi recounted another turn of events on the 27th of November, 2024, when police rearrested him, accusing him of jumping administrative bail.

This arrest, Eyisi argued, occurred despite prior notification to the authorities about Speed Darlington’s medical emergency and his approved travel to Owerri, Imo State, for a performance.

She criticized the continuous detention as a violation of his constitutional rights, labeling him the “breadwinner of his family.”

The police, however, painted a different picture in their counter-affidavit, filed by SP David Atama. According to Atama, a petition from Burna Boy, whose real name is Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu, was received on the 24th of September, 2024, through his lawyer, G.C. Ijioma of Rockfold Chambers.

Burna Boy accused Speed Darlington of threats to his life and intimidation in violation of Section 24 of the Cybercrime Prohibition Act, 2015. Atama alleged that during interrogation, Speed Darlington voluntarily confessed to the offense.

In a rebuttal, Speed Darlington vehemently denied the claims in a further affidavit, describing them as “false and misleading.”

He argued that Burna Boy had himself trivialized the allegations, turning them into a public joke.

He also denied ever jumping bail, contrary to the police’s assertion.

Adding to the saga, Speed Darlington had earlier secured N20 million bail with one surety on the 15th of January.

This relief was granted by Justice Ekerete Akpan of a sister court in Abuja after the singer pleaded not guilty to a two-count charge of alleged cybercrime.

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