Nigerian folk musician Segun Akinlolu, popularly known as Beautiful Nubia, has publicly accused two gospel artistes (Yinka Ayefele and BBO) of infringing on the copyright of his song Seven Lifes, sparking fresh debate about intellectual property in the country’s music industry.
In a post shared Thursday on X, Akinlolu claimed that Yinka Ayefele’s 2012 track My Faith in God (Igbagbo Ireti) and BBO’s 2026 song “Amin” borrowed heavily from the core melody of his original composition.
He wrote, “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?”
The singer’s remarks question what he described as a pattern of disregard for copyright protections, particularly within the gospel music scene.
As of the time of filing this report, neither Ayefele nor BBO had publicly responded to the allegation.
The development adds to ongoing conversations about ownership and creative rights in Nigeria’s gospel music sector.
In 2024, gospel artiste Sinach was embroiled in a legal dispute with producer Michael Oluwole over the authorship of her globally acclaimed song Way Maker.
Sinach denied the claims, insisting she was the sole writer and noting that the song had achieved international recognition before the producer’s involvement.
