Speed Darlington’s Lawyer Asserts Client Will Not Beg Burna Boy to Drop Defamation Charges

The legal representative of singer Speed Darlington, Stan Alieke, has stated unequivocally that his client will not plead with Burna Boy to drop defamation charges against him.
Speed Darlington, popularly known as “Akpi,” was previously arrested and spent two months in detention following a defamation complaint filed by Burna Boy. The case has since escalated to the courts.
In an interview with BBC Pidgin, Alieke criticized the involvement of the police in what he believes should be a civil matter, emphasizing that the case should now be left for the court to decide.
“Akpi no go ever beg Burna Boy, we sef, we no go support am because of the things wey he don suffer. He no go even gree if we advise am, I no go even wan advice am,” Alieke said.
He explained that Speed Darlington’s refusal to beg is not just about pride but also about principle, noting, “Beg or no beg, it’s now in the jurisdiction of the court to determine if wetin him talk, he really defame am or he no defame am. We begging am mean say he don plead guilty be dat.”
Alieke also accused Burna Boy of involving the police unnecessarily in the matter, which he argued should have been a straightforward civil case. “The petition wey Burna Boy write be say the kain thing wey he don talk against am make am lose international reputation and lose some endorsements. Okay, why not go to court and tell court to institute a civil action? The court will equate the damages to financial compensation,” he stated.
The lawyer criticized the police for their handling of the case, arguing that they should have granted Speed Darlington administrative bail instead of detaining him for two months.
The ongoing legal battle has garnered significant public attention, with fans and critics divided over the feud between Speed Darlington and Burna Boy. Both sides now await the court’s judgment to determine the outcome of the high-profile case.