“I Won’t Beg Burna Boy For Mercy” – Speed Darlington’s Lawyer Says
Stanley Alieke, Speed Darlington’s lawyer, has said his client will not beg Burna Boy to drop the defamation case against him. This comes after Speed Darlington was released from detention two months after Burna Boy’s allegations.
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In an interview with BBC Pidgin, Alieke said the matter should go through the court without any external interference. He wants the court to determine the damages and compensation and not the police.
Alieke said:
“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. Matter don go court, 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 are begging am mean say he don plead guilty be dat. 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. But because of the person wey dey involved, they come gather police, police come dey involved. We dey tell police say their hand no suppose dey inside right from time, in fact, police suppose grant am administrative bail from when dem arrest am.”
The matter started when Burna Boy accused Speed Darlington of saying things that defamed him and made him lose his international reputation and endorsements. After the allegations, Speed Darlington was arrested and detained. His lawyer said police involvement was unnecessary and the matter should have been civil from the beginning.
Alieke also condemned the conditions of his client’s detention, saying Speed Darlington was kept in the “Abattoir” at the SARS office in Abuja, a place meant for serious crimes. He said it was an attempt to break his client’s spirit.
Watch the interview below:
