Nigerian folk singer Segun Akinlolu, popularly known as Beautiful Nubia, has accused gospel artistes Yinka Ayefele and BBO of infringing on the copyright of his song, Seven Lifes.
In a post shared on Thursday via X, the singer alleged that Ayefele’s 2012 track My Faith in God (Igbagbo Ireti) and BBO’s 2026 release Amin borrowed their core melodies from his original composition.
Akinlolu questioned when Nigerian musicians—particularly those in the gospel genre—would begin to uphold copyright standards.
“There was Yinka Ayefele with ‘My Faith in God (Igbagbo Ireti)’ in 2012 and now someone called BBO with ‘Amin’ this year. Both stole their melodies from our original song ‘Seven Lifes’,” he wrote.
“When will Nigerians (especially the so-called gospel musicians) learn to respect copyright?”
As of the time of filing this report, neither Ayefele nor BBO had issued a public response to the allegations.
The development adds to a growing number of intellectual property disputes within Nigeria’s gospel music industry. In 2024, gospel singer Sinach was sued by producer Michael Oluwole, who claimed co-authorship of her globally acclaimed song Way Maker. Sinach denied the allegation, maintaining that she was the sole writer and that the song had attained international recognition prior to the producer’s involvement.
Industry observers note that the latest accusation may reignite conversations around copyright awareness, originality, and enforcement mechanisms within Nigeria’s creative sector.
Comments