Activist lawyer Deji Adeyanju has called out the Nigerian police for disregarding a Federal High Court ruling that granted bail to rapper Darlington Okoye, known as Speed Darlington.

The court issued the bail order on Monday, December 23, but the rapper remains in police custody. Speed Darlington was re-arrested on November 27 in Owerri, Imo State, after an initial arrest in October based on a petition filed by artist Burna Boy.

Despite the court’s unconditional bail order, Speed Darlington’s legal team has followed the necessary steps to submit the ruling to the police legal department and the Force Investigation Department (FID), where he is detained. However, the police have yet to comply.

On Thursday, Adeyanju criticized the police’s refusal to release the rapper, posting on his X account, “The Nigerian Police have refused to release Speed Darlington a.k.a AKPI despite the explicit order of the Federal High Court to do so. This is the highest form of disrespect to the judiciary.”