Controversial Nigerian singer, Darlington Okoye, popularly known as Speed Darlington, has publicly apologised to Grammy-winning artiste Burna Boy and appealed to him to withdraw all pending charges against him.
Speed Darlington made the appeal in a video shared on his Instagram page on Thursday, expressing regret over comments he made about the singer and the embarrassment they may have caused him.
In the video, the singer admitted that he was wrong to assume that everyone would respond to situations the same way he does.
“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 added, “I made the mistake of thinking that everybody vibrates at the same frequency. That’s wrong of me. I apologise, Burna Boy.”
The controversial entertainer further promised to refrain from making direct or indirect comments about Burna Boy’s sexuality if the singer agreed to withdraw the charges and allow the dispute to end.
“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 also pledged to stop mentioning Burna Boy’s name entirely if the matter was resolved.
“I promise I will never use my mouth to mention your name,” he added.
The dispute between the two entertainers began in October 2024 after Speed Darlington released videos questioning Burna Boy’s Grammy Award win for his album, Twice as Tall, while making insinuations about his alleged relationship with American music executive Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs.
Following the controversy, Burna Boy reportedly petitioned the police over allegations of defamation and cyberstalking.
Speed Darlington was arrested in Lagos on October 4, 2024, transferred to Abuja and released on October 9, 2024.
His lawyer, Stan Alieke, had earlier issued an apology on his behalf, explaining that the controversial videos were intended for entertainment and were not meant to defame the Grammy-winning singer.
However, the singer was arrested again in November 2024 while performing at a show in Owerri, Imo State.
He was subsequently arraigned in court and granted bail in January 2025.
His latest public apology appears to be another attempt to resolve the prolonged dispute with Burna Boy.
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