Speed Darlington’s legal representative, Stan Alieke, has expressed concerns that the controversial singer might spend Christmas and New Year in detention.
Darlington, who was arrested in November while performing at a show in Owerri, Imo State, has been held in police custody for weeks.
Human rights lawyer Deji Adeyanju previously alleged that Afrofusion star Burna Boy was involved in Darlington’s re-arrest.
Alieke however revealed that the police are refusing to grant his client bail, claiming he “jumped bail” during an earlier incident.
Speaking with TheCable on Thursday, Alieke described the detention as unfair, alleging the involvement of “high powers” in the matter.
“The reason Speed Darlington has not been released is because police do not want to grant him administrative bail. We asked them for their reason, and they said he jumped bail the first time,” he said.
“It is not a secret that a lot of high powers are interested in the matter. We are making arrangements to seek court bail. The police have scheduled his arraignment for January 14 and 15 next year, which is quite concerning.”
Alieke added that a bail application had already been filed and would be heard in court on Friday.
He expressed optimism that Darlington would be released before Christmas.
“He is not spending Christmas and New Year in detention. We are moving a motion and will be in court again tomorrow. Hopefully, he will be granted bail,” the lawyer stated.
He further criticised the delay, attributing it to improper court scheduling while reiterating that Darlington’s prolonged detention stems from “mere civil action.”
“It is beyond my comprehension why he has not been granted administrative bail.
It is clear that some high-profile persons are involved in this matter,” Alieke said.
Darlington has reportedly been in detention for over four weeks since his arrest.
