Nigerian rapper Speed Darlington has been arrested while performing at a show in Owerri, Imo State. Human rights lawyer Deji Adeyanju announced the arrest via a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday.
“Our client, Speed Darlington, a.k.a AKPI, has been arrested by the Nigerian police in Owerri at his show upon returning to Nigeria,” Adeyanju stated.
In a subsequent post, Adeyanju accused Grammy-winning artist Burna Boy of orchestrating the police action against Darlington. “Burna Boy, who claims to sing against oppression and emulate Fela, is now oppressing Akpi,” the lawyer wrote.
This marks the second time Darlington has faced legal trouble involving Burna Boy. In October, he was detained by police in Abuja following a formal complaint filed by the Grammy winner. After spending five days in custody, Darlington was released on bail.
The conflict stems from Darlington’s public remarks questioning Burna Boy’s Grammy win for Twice As Tall—executively produced by Sean “Diddy” Combs—while alleging an inappropriate relationship between the two. He also criticized Burna Boy’s ties to Diddy, who is currently facing allegations of sexual exploitation and human trafficking.
