A Federal High Court in Abuja, on the 13th of January, 2025, postponed proceedings in a high-profile N300 million fundamental rights enforcement suit involving detained singer Darlington Achakpo, fondly called Speed Darlington, and the police.
The court, presided over by Justice Musa Liman, adjourned the case to the 27th of January.
The adjournment followed a request by CSP Audu Garba, counsel for the Inspector-General of Police, for additional time to review a further affidavit served on him in open court by Speed Darlington’s lawyer, Abubakar Marshall.
When the matter was called, Marshall informed the court that the case was set for a substantive hearing on the enforcement of his client’s fundamental rights.
He noted that while the police had served a counter affidavit on the 10th of January, 2025, his team had filed a further affidavit in response earlier that morning.
Justice Liman confirmed this timeline and granted Marshall permission to serve the document to Garba in court.
Attempting to proceed with the hearing, Marshall was met with an objection from Garba, who requested more time to study the further affidavit for any new legal or factual issues requiring response.
Justice Liman agreed and set the 27th of January, as the new date for the adoption of applications.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1832/2024, pits Speed Darlington against the Inspector-General of Police as the sole respondent. In the application, the singer urged the court to declare his arrest and detention as violations of his fundamental rights under the 1999 Constitution.
Among his prayers were demands for his immediate and unconditional release or, alternatively, his production in court to assess the legality of his detention and consider granting him bail.
He also sought N300 million in damages for what he described as his unlawful and prolonged detention.
In an affidavit deposed to by Esther Eyisi, a secretary in the legal firm representing Speed Darlington, it was revealed that the singer was initially arrested on the 4th of October, 2024, for allegedly defaming Burna Boy.
Eyisi alleged that he was held in custody for five days under inhumane conditions, during which he endured severe torture and maltreatment without formal charges.
Though released on bail, the singer was rearrested on the 27th of November, 2024, over claims of jumping administrative bail a charge Eyisi vehemently disputed, citing prior notification of a medical emergency and approval from the police to travel to Owerri for a performance.
In contrast, the police counter affidavit, deposed by SP David Atama, painted a different picture.
Atama disclosed that Burna Boy, whose real name is Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu, had petitioned the police on the 24th of September, 2024, alleging that Speed Darlington had threatened his life, intimidated him, and incited unrest among his followers.
According to the police, Speed Darlington admitted to these offenses during interrogation.