Singer Speed ​​Darlington’s lawyer Deji Adeyanju on Thursday said his client’s arrest was a gross abuse of power. Mr. Adeyanju said this during an interview with media personality Daddy Freeze, which was monitored by PREMIUM TIMES.

Mr. Adeyanju had confirmed the rearrest of his client in a interview with PREMIUM TIMES on Wednesday and revealed that it was on commission from Burna Boy. This is the second time Darlington Speed was arrested following a feud with musician Burna Boy.

Mr Adeyanju confirmed that the arrest took place in Owerri during the Speed ​​Darlington end of year music show and he was later transferred to Abuja.

However, speaking in the Live In a session with Daddy Freeze, Mr. Adeyanju elaborated on the misuse of law enforcement by influential figures. He criticized the culture of using the police to settle personal scores, describing it as a “jungle justice” approach. He stressed that public figures should expect criticism and ridicule and that legal channels, rather than police intervention, should be used to combat defamation.

He said: “Initially, when Speed ​​was arrested earlier, he was detained for four days. They arrested him in Lagos four days later and took him to Abuja. Now they went to Owerri to arrest him and took him to Abuja, all because of the ego of a person claiming to be the Fela of Ojuelegba”.

Background

The dispute between Speed ​​Darlington and Burna Boy began in October. Speed ​​Darlington was the first arrested for allegedly cyberstalking Burna Boy. The feud intensified when Speed ​​Darlington mocked Burna Boy’s association with American rapper Diddy, who had been arrested on several charges including sexual exploitation, and questioned the legitimacy of his Grammy win.

Despite being released on bail for the first time, Speed ​​Darlington continued to provoke Burna Boy on social media. In a video, he demanded a public apology from Burna Boy’s mother as well as financial compensation.

“If you want this problem to end, call your mom to come on TV and beg me, just like my mother knelt down to beg you. Also, pay me N12 million and I will stop dragging you,” he said.

Repression

Mr. Adeyanju, a human rights defender for almost three decades, drew on his own experiences to highlight the issue of repression in Nigeria. He stressed that public figures need to develop a thicker skin in the face of criticism or mockery.

“Once you’re a famous person, you’re a public person; you are a politician, a public figure and you should always expect criticism. You should always expect people to make fun of you. So for me personally, people who follow me on social media know that I even retweet insults. Civilization demands that you seek civil legal remedies whenever you are insulted, dishonest, ridiculed, or mocked. Even if the police get involved, the Supreme Court, in a multitude of cases, you know, says that defamation appeals are now transferred.

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“Suppose the court rules because the idea of ​​defamation remedies is to restore the defamed person to the previous state. To what extent does the state benefit if you use the police to harass someone who would defend you, someone who has insulted you, or someone who you believe has offended you with their comments, whether Are they fair or not? And what will be the propriety or otherwise of your action?” he said.