Nigerian folk musician Segun Akinlolu, widely known as Beautiful Nubia, has accused gospel artistes Yinka Ayefele and BBO of copyright infringement over his song Seven Lifes.
In a post shared Thursday on X, the singer alleged that Ayefele’s 2012 track My Faith in God (Igbagbo Ireti) and BBO’s 2026 release Amin borrowed heavily from the core melody of his original composition.
Beautiful Nubia questioned when Nigerian musicians particularly those in the gospel genre would begin to respect intellectual property rights.
“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’.
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 publicly responded to the allegations.
The controversy adds to a growing list of intellectual property disputes within Nigeria’s gospel music industry. In 2024, gospel star Sinach faced a lawsuit from producer Michael Oluwole, who claimed co-authorship of her globally acclaimed hit Way Maker. Sinach denied the claim, insisting she was the sole writer and that the song had achieved international recognition prior to the producer’s involvement.
The latest allegation is likely to intensify conversations around copyright enforcement and creative ownership within Nigeria’s music landscape.
