Speed Darlington, also known as Darlington Okoye, has been re-arrested by the Nigerian Police in Owerri, Imo State.
The singer’s lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, confirmed the arrest on Wednesday morning through a post on his X account.
“Our client, Speed Darlington, a.k.a. AKPI, has been arrested by the Nigerian police in Owerri at his show upon return to Nigeria,” Adeyanju wrote, noting that the arrest occurred shortly after the artist returned for a performance.
While the specific reasons for the arrest remain unclear, Adeyanju alleged that fellow musician Burna Boy was behind the incident. He accused Burna Boy of using police harassment to target Speed Darlington, saying:
“Burna Boy is behind the harassment of Speed Darlington by the police. This is someone who sings against oppression but is now oppressing Akpi.”
This arrest comes weeks after Speed Darlington was detained by police on October 4 over allegations stemming from a video where he insinuated Burna Boy had a personal relationship with American rapper Diddy, which allegedly aided Burna Boy’s international breakthrough.
Speed Darlington was released on bail on October 9 after spending five days in detention. Following his release, he traveled abroad and continued to make provocative remarks about Burna Boy.
Further updates regarding the circumstances of his latest arrest are awaited.
