Speed Darlington Boasts About 19 Arrests and Incareration
Nigerian singer Darlington Okoye, alias Speed Darlington, hasn’t shied away from controversy. Referred to as “The King of African TikTok,” the singer recently dropped a bomb during an off-script freestyle. In an Instagram post captioned “They put me underground. I came out with a banga 🔥🔥” he casually revealed that he’s been arrested 19 times and jailed in five jails.
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For an artist whose career is fueled by sensationalism, this puts a new stamp on his book as one of Nigeria’s most controversy-plagued performers.
In 2024, events reached a turning point for Darlington. In two months, he landed in cuffs twice—once in October and then in November—after publicly taunting Grammy-winning singer Burna Boy for associating with Sean “Diddy” Combs.
In 2023 and 2024, Combs faced a series of lawsuits and a U.S. government investigation. Afterward, he became a target in Speed’s social media taunts with Burna Boy added to the taunt after he associated with Combs. However, Burna Boy himself chose not to respond publicly, but Darlington’s actions allegedly violated cyberbullying laws which later landed him in deep water.
Weeks after dropping his newest single, the rapper doubled down with unrepentant swagger. In a since-viral outburst, he vented: “Five lockups, 19 times I’m under arrest, I gain game but I no dey hear. In case you mature, I move, shame to you.”
Kuje Correctional Centre is a high-security prison in Abuja where high-profile offenders are kept imprisoned. Darlington was at the very Kuje for several weeks till January 21, 2025, when liberty in form of bail terms at the Federal High Court ensued.
Several days after Darlington’s Kuje’s exit, he claimed assassins ambushed him in a carpark at a Lagos nightclub. In a deleted live session he said, “They shot at my car, but I sidestepped it like Neymar” which fueled speculations with critics attributing it as a fabrication for clout.
The controversy took another huge turn when Darlington’s lawyer, Stan Alieke, publicly resigned, citing “irreconcilable differences.” In a hasty statement, Stan’s law firm stated that they “no longer endorse behavior undermining judicial processes.”
In a Q&A Instagram session following Stan’s resignation, Darlington angrily responded, “If my lawyer is tired, let him go. I’m not here to beg anyone.”
Watch the video below:
