Nigerian singer Darlington Okoye, popularly known as Speed Darlington, has publicly apologised to Grammy-winning Afrobeats star Damini Ogulu, better known as Burna Boy, while appealing to him to withdraw the charges against him.
Speed Darlington made the appeal in a video shared on his Instagram page on Thursday, expressing regret over the pain and embarrassment his previous comments may have caused the singer.
In the video, he directly addressed Burna Boy, saying he was sorry for any hurt or humiliation he might have caused and expressing his desire to bring their prolonged disagreement to an end.
The controversial singer admitted that he had been wrong to assume that everyone had the same temperament, adding that he was willing to make peace with the Grammy-winning artiste.
He further promised to stop making both direct and indirect comments about Burna Boy’s sexuality if the singer agreed to withdraw all charges against him.
According to Speed Darlington, he would also refrain from mentioning Burna Boy’s name again if the matter was resolved, insisting that he wanted peace to prevail between them.
The dispute between the two 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 made controversial remarks about his alleged relationship with American music executive Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs.
Following the comments, Burna Boy reportedly petitioned the police over allegations of defamation and cyberstalking, leading to Speed Darlington’s arrest in Lagos on October 4, 2024. He was subsequently transferred to Abuja and released on October 9.
The singer was arrested again in November 2024 while performing at a show in Owerri, Imo State, following the renewed controversy.
He was later arraigned and granted bail in January 2025 after spending several weeks in detention.
Despite his release, the disagreement persisted, with Speed Darlington continuing to make public comments and release diss tracks directed at Burna Boy.
