Court To Hear Speed Darlington’s N300m Lawsuit Against Inspector-General On January 13

The Federal High Court in Abuja has set January 13 as the date for hearing a N300 million fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by detained singer Darlington Achakpo, popularly known as Speed Darlington, against the Inspector-General (IG) of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.

Justice Musa Liman scheduled the hearing after Speed Darlington’s lawyer, Abubakar Marshal, requested an adjournment to allow the IG’s counsel, Garba Audu, sufficient time to review the legal documents served during the court session.

Previously, on December 23, 2024, Justice Liman ordered the IG to either charge Speed Darlington formally or release him on bail unconditionally within 48 hours. This decision was made following an ex-parte motion filed by the singer’s lawyer, David Ihuoma. The matter was initially adjourned to January 6 for the main hearing.

Speed Darlington, 39, was reportedly arrested on October 4, 2024, by the police over allegations of defamation and cyberstalking against Burna Boy, a well-known musician. He was later granted bail on October 8, 2024. Human rights activist Deji Adeyanju alleged that the singer was arrested in Lagos following a petition from Burna Boy and subsequently transferred to Abuja, where he remained in detention.

During the recent court session, Marshal indicated that the hearing was scheduled to address the fundamental rights enforcement case. Although Audu initially claimed not to have received the legal papers, the court confirmed through its records that the police had indeed been served. Justice Liman then directed Marshal to hand over another copy to Audu in open court.

Upon inquiry from the judge about Speed Darlington’s release status, Marshal confirmed that the singer remained in detention. Audu responded that criminal charges had already been filed against the singer before his bail request, and the arraignment was delayed due to the Christmas holidays. The criminal case is now set for January 15 before Justice Ekerete Akpan.

Marshal urged the court to order the singer’s release pending his formal arraignment, emphasizing the commitment to ensure his presence in court when required. Audu opposed this request but maintained that the police had not deliberately defied court orders.

Justice Liman advised the police to release Speed Darlington on bail, emphasizing that there was no harm in doing so before the next court date. The court adjourned the case to January 13 for the substantive hearing.

In the lawsuit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1832/2024, Speed Darlington claims his arrest and continued detention violate his fundamental rights under the 1999 Constitution. His demands include:

An order for his immediate and unconditional release from detention.
Alternatively, an order directing the IG to produce him in court for bail consideration.
N300 million compensation for unlawful detention and violation of rights.

An affidavit by Esther Eyisi, a secretary at the representing law firm, stated that Speed Darlington was initially arrested on October 4, 2024, for defamation. He was allegedly detained for five days without formal charges and subjected to mistreatment before being released on bail.

However, he was re-arrested on November 27, 2024, over accusations of breaching his administrative bail conditions, despite notifying the authorities of his medical emergency and securing permission to attend a performance in Owerri, Imo State.