Nigerian singer Darlington Okoye, popularly known as Speed Darlington, has apologised to Grammy-winning artiste Damini Ogulu, aka Burna Boy, appealing to him to withdraw the charges against him.
The controversial singer also promised to stop making remarks about Burna Boy’s sexuality if the musician agrees to end their legal dispute.
Speed Darlington made the appeal in a video shared on his Instagram page on Thursday, expressing regret over any pain or embarrassment he might have caused the Grammy winner.
“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 had the same temperament and said 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.
The singer further promised not to make direct or indirect comments about Burna Boy’s sexuality, provided the charges against him were withdrawn.
“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.
Speed Darlington 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.
Background to the dispute
The latest appeal follows a prolonged disagreement between the two entertainers, which escalated in October 2024 after Speed Darlington shared 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 remained in detention before his release on October 9, 2024.
Following the incident, Speed Darlington’s lawyer, Stan Alieke, issued a statement apologising to Burna Boy. He explained that the controversial videos were created for entertainment purposes and were not intended to defame or malign the Grammy-winning singer.
Alieke also disclosed that his client had privately contacted Burna Boy and his team to apologise and clarify his remarks.
However, Speed Darlington subsequently distanced himself from the apology, claiming that his lawyer advised him to issue it to facilitate the recovery of his seized phone.
The disagreement resurfaced in November 2024 when Speed Darlington was arrested again while performing at a show in Owerri, Imo State.
His lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, condemned the arrest, describing it as unnecessary and accusing Burna Boy of using the police to intimidate his client.
Speed Darlington remained in detention for several weeks, with his legal team expressing concerns about the circumstances surrounding his continued custody. He was eventually arraigned and granted bail in January 2025.
Despite his release, the feud persisted, with the singer releasing diss tracks and making further public remarks about Burna Boy.
His latest video appears to be another effort to resolve the dispute, although he made his promise to stop commenting on the Grammy winner conditional on the withdrawal of the charges.