More than two days after the Federal High Court granted bail to embattled singer Speed Darlington, his lawyers, Deji Adeyanju and Stan Alieke, have accused the police of disregarding the court order by refusing to release him.
Speed Darlington, who was arrested on November 27 over allegations of cyberstalking Grammy Award winner Burna Boy, has now spent over a month in police custody. Despite the court’s ruling on Monday, his continued detention has sparked criticism from his legal team and supporters.
In an Instagram post on Thursday, Stan Alieke expressed frustration over the lack of support for the singer and criticized the police for their actions.
“We’ve done everything a lawyer should do to get his client out,” Alieke said. “I’ve exhausted my connections, reached out to political friends here in Abuja, and contacted everyone I could. Yet, people are refusing to help, citing past incidents where Akpi (Speed Darlington) allegedly insulted them. It’s nonsense. Just imagine your brother being detained for over a month because he allegedly insulted someone. Now, people are celebrating and saying, ‘He got what he deserved.’ Someone even told me not to get involved because Akpi had insulted me in the past. But I’ve been his lawyer for over five years, and I know him better than these online commentators.”
Alieke also condemned the police for ignoring the court’s order, which required them to release or arraign Speed Darlington within 48 hours.
“The court ruled on Monday, giving the police 48 hours to comply,” Alieke said. “Even accounting for the public holidays, the deadline has passed, yet the police refuse to grant him bail or arraign him. He has now spent Christmas in detention.”
Deji Adeyanju also weighed in on the matter via X (formerly Twitter), expressing outrage over the police’s noncompliance.
“The Nigerian Police have refused to release Speed Darlington, a.k.a. Akpi, despite the explicit order of the Federal High Court. This is the highest form of disrespect to the judiciary,” Adeyanju wrote.
The ongoing detention of Speed Darlington continues to draw attention to the enforcement of court rulings in Nigeria and the challenges faced by those seeking justice.
