By Hosea Parah
Controversial musician, Speed Darlington (born Darlington Okoye) has formally apologised to Burna Boy, asking the singer to withdraw all pending legal actions to resolve their prolonged dispute.
The controversial singer, popularly known as Speed Darlington, made the appeal in a video shared on his Instagram page on Thursday, expressing regret over comments he made about the singer, a Grammy-winning artiste, and the embarrassment they may have caused him.
“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.
He admitted that he was wrong to assume that everyone would respond to criticism in the same way, adding, “I made the mistake of thinking that everybody vibrates at the same frequency. That’s wrong of me. I apologise, Burna Boy.”
The singer also promised to stop making remarks about Burna Boy’s sexuality if the latter agrees to withdraw the charges and end their dispute.
“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,” he stated.
Speed Darlington further pledged to stop mentioning the singer’s name altogether if the matter was resolved.
“I promise I will never use my mouth to mention your name,” he added.
The dispute between the two artistes began 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.
Speed Darlington was arrested in Lagos on October 4, 2024, before being transferred to Abuja. He was released on October 9, 2024.
His lawyer, Stan Alieke, had earlier apologised on his behalf, explaining that the controversial videos were created for entertainment and were not intended to defame Burna Boy.
The singer was arrested again in November 2024 while performing at a show in Owerri, Imo State.
He was subsequently arraigned and granted bail in January 2025.