Nigerian singer Darlington Okoye, popularly known as Speed Darlington, has appealed to Grammy-winning artiste Damini Ogulu, aka Burna Boy, to withdraw the charges against him and allow their lingering dispute to end.
The controversial singer appealed in an apology video shared on his Instagram page on Thursday, expressing regret over comments he had made about Burna Boy.
In the video, Speed Darlington acknowledged that his remarks might have caused the award-winning musician embarrassment and emotional distress.
He said, “I apologise for any pain that I have caused you. Any shame that I have caused you.”
The singer also admitted that he had wrongly assumed Burna Boy would react to issues the same way he did, adding that he wanted both parties to put their differences behind them.
“I made the mistake of thinking that everybody vibrates at the same frequency. That’s wrong of me. I apologise, Burna Boy,” he stated.
As part of his appeal, Speed Darlington promised to stop making direct or indirect remarks about Burna Boy’s sexuality if the musician agreed to withdraw the charges.
“I give you my word that if you withdraw all charges and let everything die, I will never make any direct comment regarding your sexuality. Even indirect comment. I will no longer try to sustain it. I give you my word. Let peace reign,” he said.
He further 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 disagreement between the entertainers dates back to October 2024, when 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 allegations of defamation and cyberstalking, resulting in Speed Darlington’s arrest in Lagos on October 4, 2024.
He was later transferred to Abuja, where he was detained before regaining his freedom on October 9, 2024.
The singer’s lawyer, Stan Alieke, subsequently released a statement apologising to Burna Boy, explaining that the videos were intended for entertainment and were not meant to damage the musician’s reputation.
Alieke also disclosed that Speed Darlington had privately contacted Burna Boy and his team to express regret over the comments.
However, Speed Darlington later disowned the apology, claiming that his lawyer had advised him to issue it to facilitate the recovery of his seized phone.
The controversy resurfaced in November 2024 when he was arrested again while performing at a show in Owerri, Imo State.
His legal representative, Deji Adeyanju, condemned the arrest, accusing Burna Boy of using the police to intimidate his client.
Speed Darlington remained in detention for several weeks before he was arraigned and granted bail in January 2025.
Despite his release, the disagreement persisted, with the singer continuing to release diss tracks and make public comments about Burna Boy.
His latest apology appears to signal another attempt to resolve the dispute, although his commitment to refrain from further remarks is expressly tied to Burna Boy withdrawing the charges.
