Speed Darlington apologises to Burna Boy and asks him to withdraw the charges, promising to stop making comments about his sexuality
Nigerian singer Darlington Okoye, popularly known as Speed Darlington, has apologised to Grammy-winning musician Damini Ogulu, aka Burna Boy, and appealed to him to withdraw the charges arising from their prolonged feud.
Speed Darlington made the appeal in a video posted on his Instagram page on Thursday, expressing regret over the pain and embarrassment his comments may have caused the singer.
“This video is for Burna Boy. Burna, this is an apology video. I apologise for any pain that I have caused you. Any shame that I have caused you,” he said.
The controversial singer admitted that he had wrongly assumed everyone had the same temperament, adding that he wanted their disagreement to come to an end.
“I made the mistake of thinking that everybody vibrates at the same frequency. That’s wrong of me. I apologise, Burna Boy,” he added.
As part of his appeal, Speed Darlington promised to stop making comments about Burna Boy’s sexuality, whether directly or indirectly, if the musician agreed to withdraw the charges and allow the matter to end.
“I give you my word that if you withdraw all charges and let everything die, I give you my word that I will never make any direct comment regarding your sexuality.
“Even indirect comment. I will no longer try sustain. I give you my word. Let peace reign,” he said.
He also pledged not to mention Burna Boy’s name again if the legal dispute was resolved.
“I promise I will never use my mouth to mention your name,” he added.
The latest appeal follows a feud that escalated in October 2024 after Speed Darlington released videos questioning Burna Boy’s Grammy Award win for his album, Twice as Tall, and making insinuations about his relationship with American music executive Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs.
Burna Boy subsequently petitioned the police over alleged defamation and cyberstalking, leading to Speed Darlington’s arrest in Lagos on October 4, 2024.
He was later transferred to Abuja, where he was detained before his release on October 9, 2024.
During the controversy, Speed Darlington’s lawyer, Stan Alieke, issued a statement apologising to Burna Boy. He explained that the videos were made for entertainment and were not intended to defame or malign the Grammy-winning musician.
Alieke also said his client had privately contacted Burna Boy and his team to apologise and clarify his comments.
Speed Darlington, however, later distanced himself from the apology, claiming that his lawyer had advised him to issue it to facilitate the recovery of his seized phone.
The dispute resurfaced in November 2024 when Speed Darlington was arrested again while performing at a show in Owerri, Imo State.
His lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, criticised the arrest, describing it as unnecessary and accusing Burna Boy of using the police to oppress his client.
Speed Darlington remained in detention for several weeks before he was arraigned and granted bail in January 2025.
Following his release, the feud continued, with the singer releasing diss material and making further public comments about Burna Boy.
His latest video appears to signal another effort to end the dispute, although his promise to stop commenting on the singer remains conditional on Burna Boy withdrawing the charges.
