Court admits Speed Darlington to N20m bail as IGP sues him for ‘cybercrime’
A federal high court in Abuja has admitted the detained singer Speed Darlington to a N20 million bail with one surety.
Ekerete Akpan, the judge, gave the order on Wednesday in a ruling on the singer’s bail application by his lawyer Marshall Abubakar after he pleaded not guilty to a two-count charge bordering on alleged cybercrime.
Akpan ordered that the surety, who must be a level 10 civil servant, must be a resident of Abuja and must be deposed to an affidavit of means.
The judge also held that the address of the surety should be verified by the court registrar and the surety must either be a staff of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) or a federal worker.
The surety was asked to deposit his/her letters of appointment and last promotion which the deputy chief registrar of the court must verify.
The judge, who ordered Darlington to deposit his international passport, asked the surety and the defendant to submit their two recent passport photographs to the court registrar.
He consequently ordered the singer to be remanded in Kuje Correctional Centre pending the perfection of his bail conditions.
Akpan adjourned the matter until March 18 for trial.
Darlington was arrested on November 27 while performing at a show in Owerri, Imo state. He was accused of cyberstalking Burna Boy, the Grammy-winning artiste.
Darlington had taunted Burna Boy over his affiliation with the embattled US rapper Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ who is facing multiple charges for sexual exploitation and human trafficking.
He asked Burna Boy to explain how he won the Grammy award for his album ‘Twice As Tall’ — a project executive produced by Diddy. He claimed there was a sexual relationship between the duo.
NAN reports that Kayode Egbetokun, the inspector general of police, had taken Darlington to court for “cybercrime offences”.
He was alleged to have transmitted the message; “Burna Boy, how many oil Diddy drop for your ny*sh before them give you that grammy,” “speed darlington is such a clown infamaooo…” through his instagram handle; @20takeoffs on the internet in a viral video.
“A publication which went viral and was read and watched by many in Abuja, Lagos and throughout the world which you know to be false for the purpose of causing annoyance insult, injury, enmity or hatred among numerous fans of Burna Boy and posing inconvenience, danger, needless anxiety to his life and damage to his name and integrity.
“And you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 24(1)(a&(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention etc) Act, 2015 (as amended).”
In count two, he was also alleged to have posted the message: “talking about burna boy odugwu is my language I am odugwu, odogwu is not nickname Odigwu is masquerade name, if you are a G, come my side come orlu road imo state no fit where I pass and where I pass army no dey passam you are a culture vulture you are not one of us…,” on his instagram handle; @20takeoffs.”
The publication was said to “intimidate, bully, threaten, or harass Burna Boy, which communication placed him in fear of death, reasonable apprehension of violence or bodily harm and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 24 (2) (a) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention etc) Act 2015 (as amended).”
Darlington’s legal representatives have been calling out the police over his continued detention and for allegedly denying the rapper access to bail.
