The Nigeria Police Force, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command Spokesperson, Josephine Adeh, has denied reports that popular musician, Damini Ogulu aka Burna Boy allegedly ordered the arrest of his colleague, Darlington Okoye, better known as Speed Darlington.

We had reported that Darlington was arrested and detained following a petition from fellow musician Burna Boy, who alleged cyberstalking.

Speed Darlington was arrested in Lagos State and taken to various formations in the state before he was taken to Abuja and detained by the IRT team, which accused him of cyberstalking Burna Boy.

Human rights lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, had on Tuesday told SaharaReporters that he had seen the petition written against Darlington by afrobeat musician, Burna Boy.

Darlington was released after five days in detention, but Burna Boy was called out on social media for allegedly ordering the arrest of his colleague.

A media influencer commonly known as VeryDarkMan had in a video on his instagram on Wednesday narrated how the police are being used to oppress Nigerians.

However, the FCT command spokesperson, Josephine in a statement on Saturday, said contrary to public opinion, nobody had the power to ‘’order” the police to arrest anyone.

She claimed that police officers only make arrests after thorough investigations, and not because someone demanded such from the police.

Adeh said; “Hey influencers, Bloggers, and Vloggers: Let’s set the record straight! No one— yes, NO ONE— can just “order” the police to make an arrest. The Police act on real investigations, not personal vendettas.

Adding that, “If you’re in hot water, cooperate, avail yourself and tell your side of the story. Ignoring it could land you in serious trouble, no matter who you think you are. Stop spreading misinformation. Let’s be guided.”

As one of the institutions championing positive change in the global entertainment industry, All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) has reaffirmed its commitment to the growth of Africa’s creative economy by partnering with critical stakeholders to align with the African Union’s vision for cultural and creative development, as outlined during the recently concluded 6th Pan-African Cultural Congress (AU/PACC6) in Moroni, Union of Comoros.

It was a gathering of key stakeholders, including Pan-African cultural institutions, artists, cultural workers, and policymakers in the East African country, at an epoch-making event held between September 25 and 27, 2024. At this event, a framework for action aligning national and continental policies was developed, emphasizing the development of arts and heritage as crucial to achieving the AU’s Agenda 2063 vision.

In a presentation at the event, Sola Dada, AFRIMA’s Director of Stakeholders Engagement, Media, and Communications (Global), took the audience through the organisation’s activities since its inception in 2014, tailored towards promoting music, arts, and culture on the continent and the sustained effort to collaborate with other industry institutions to deepen the entertainment ecosystem in Africa.

“AFRIMA has successfully collaborated with policymakers, governments, African artistes, producers, record labels, promoters, publishing companies, media and the African Union Commission (AUC) to celebrate and promote African music globally,” Dada told the conference. “Through our seven core pillars, namely Music Awards, Music Festivals, Music Business Hub, Talent Discovery and Promotion, AFRIMA Creative Academy, Advisory and Policy Debates, Corporate Social Responsibility and Advocacy, we have positioned African music as a tool for integration, inclusivity, economic prosperity, and world peace.”

He said as the longest-running African music award platform with a global reach, AFRIMA plays a critical role in enhancing the visibility of African music.

Dada added that. ” AFRIMA’s events bring together thousands of music artistes, actors, celebrities, governments, and professionals from around the world to continent’s cultural significance on the global stage.

“Through our partnership with the AU and other stakeholders, AFRIMA is well-positioned to support the implementation of policies that will drive the growth of Africa’s creative economy. With a focus on integration, innovation, and cultural preservation, AFRIMA and the AU are set to make significant strides toward the Africa We Want as envisioned in Agenda 2063.”

The AU/PACC6, held under the theme “Arts, Culture, Heritage, and Education: Levers for Buildings Africa We Want,” served as a platform for Pan-African cultural institutions, cultural workers, and experts to engage in discussions on how to leverage these sectors to build a stronger African identity.

The congress concluded with a framework for action designed to guide cultural and educational development across the continent.

The congress resulted in several key resolutions aimed at strengthening Africa’s cultural sectors, including support for national cultural policies, engagement of youth and women, heritage preservation, promotion of African languages, and cultural exchange programmes that allow African youth to collaborate, showcase their work, and learn from one another.

In her opening remarks, Mrs. Angela Martins, Acting Director for Social Development, Culture, and Sport at the African Union Commission (AUC),  highlighted the rapid growth of Africa’s cultural and creative industries, referring to them as the continent’s “new crude oil” due to their increasing global economic influence. Martins called for greater investment in the sector, citing AU Assembly Decision 772, which advocates for allocating at least 1% of national budgets to arts, culture, and heritage.

As part of the AU’s efforts, she announced the development of an arts education policy aimed at integrating arts education into school curriculums across Member States.

“This policy aligns with the AU’s theme of the year for 2024 and aims to nurture young talent from an early age,” she said.

Martins praised the efforts of key institutions in the entertainment, art and cultural space including AFRIMA which she described as “Africa’s global music awards and longest-running music award platform, with a huge global appeal, diaspora audience, and youthful fans.”

The main events of AFRIMA are usually broadcast live to over 84 countries around the world after a continental and global roadshow, with thousands of music artists, actors, celebrities, members of the diplomatic corps, professionals in the creative space, tourists, media and fans from all over the world converging on the host country.

A picture  shared online shows a man, believed to be Speed Darlington, being led out of a building in handcuffs, surrounded by other men.

Nigerians had raised alarm online claiming he had gone “missing”. Others claimed he was “arrested”.

This comes after he defamed Burna Boy.

Speed Darlington had gone online to make insinuations about Burna’s sexuality following the arrest of Sean “Diddy” Combs.

Speed mentioned that Burna broke into the American music scene and got nominated for the Grammys after meeting with Diddy. He then asked Burna how many of the baby oils found in Diddy’s house were used on him.

It is not clear if his “arrest” has anything to do with Burna but the Last Last singer went on X to react after Nigerians pointed fingers at him.

“Who’s missing,” Burna tweeted after Nigerians raised the alarm that Speed is missing.