Nigerian rapper Darlington Achakpo, popularly known as Speed Darlington, has taken legal action against the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, demanding N300 million in damages for what he claims was an unlawful detention.
Speed Darlington filed the case, tagged FHC/ABJ/CS/1832/2024, as a fundamental rights enforcement suit, naming the IGP as the sole respondent.
He is asking the court to declare his arrest and detention a violation of his constitutional rights under the 1999 Constitution.
The 39-year-old rapper was arrested in Lagos over allegations of defamation and cyberstalking related to his comments about fellow artist, Burna Boy.
In his lawsuit, Darlington is seeking compensation for unlawful detention and is requesting either his immediate release or a court hearing to address his case.
Darlington’s lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, has urged the court to order the IGP to release him unconditionally.
He is also asking for Darlington to be brought before the court to determine the legality of his detention and possibly grant him bail.
The lawsuit also demands N300 million in damages for what the legal team describes as unlawful detention and mistreatment during custody.
He sought “an order directing the respondent to pay the applicant the sum of N300,000,000.00 (Three Hundred Million Naira) only as general, exemplary and aggravating damages for their unlawful and continued detention since the 2024 till date.”
An affidavit filed by Esther Eyisi, a secretary at the law firm representing Darlington, claims he was first arrested on October 4, 2024, for allegedly defaming Burna Boy.
Eyisi alleged that Darlington was detained for five days, during which he was tortured and denied humane treatment before being granted bail.
The affidavit further states that Darlington was rearrested on November 27, 2024, for allegedly skipping a scheduled bail appearance.
His lawyer claims Darlington had informed authorities of a medical emergency and sought permission to travel for a performance. Despite this, he remains in detention without formal charges being filed.
The Federal High Court in Abuja has scheduled a hearing for January 13, 2025, following a request by Darlington’s legal team for an adjournment.
Justice Musa Liman granted the adjournment to allow the police’s lawyer, Garba Audu, time to review and respond to the legal documents.
This comes hours after the Federal High Court ordered the police to release Speed Darlington immediately while awaiting the outcome of the case.
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