Nigerian music producer and gospel singer Yinka Ayefele and gospel minister Bakare ‘BBO’ Oluwatobi have kept silent days after folk musician Segun ‘Beautiful Nubia’ Akinlolu accused them of copyright infringement.
On 19 February, Beautiful Nubia accused the duo of unlawfully using his intellectual property.
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In a post on his X page, the 58-year-old alleged that BBO and Ayefele lifted the melody of his hit song, “Seven Lifes”, and failed to credit him in their respective songs, “My Faith in God (Igbagbo Ireti)” and “Amin
Beautiful Nubia released “Seven Lifes” as the lead track from his debut studio album on 1 October 1997 under his EniObanke label.
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He composed the song in 1989 and first recorded it in 1994, then re-recorded it in 2002 for inclusion on his album “Jangbalajugbu.”
Meanwhile, Ayefele released “My Faith in God (Igbagbo Ireti)” on 9 December 2012, while BBO released “Amin” in January 2026.
“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?”, he wrote.
Enter Ayefele
In an initial response, Ayefele obliquely dismissed Beautiful Nubia’s allegation in a post shared on his social media page, which he later deleted.
The Ekiti-born musician, rather than respond to the allegation, chose to question the originality of another of Beautiful Nubia’s work.
“Who is the composer of Ebami Gbogbo Yi Gbe. Jangbalajugbu, who was acknowledged, infringement aye,” he wrote.
The post drew a barrage of criticism in the comment section by people who saw it as an admission of wrong. Others reminded the singer that Jangbalajugbu is an ageless folklore song with no known owner that could be given any credit.
Ayefele later deleted the post shortly after posting it and has yet to comment on the issue since then.
As of press time on Wednesday, BBO hasn’t responded to Beautiful Nubia’s allegation.
Copyright disputes
This is not the first instance of copyright disputes among singers, particularly in the gospel music scene.
In November 2024, this newspaper reported that gospel singer Osinachi “Sinach” Egbu faced a N5 billion lawsuit over her internationally acclaimed song, “Way Maker.”
The suit, filed by music producer Michael “Maye” Oluwole, alleged copyright infringement and sought a declaration of co-ownership of the song.
Maye claimed he worked as a studio engineer on “Way Maker”, which was released in December 2015, contributing to the recording, mixing, and mastering of the track, as well as creating instrumental accompaniments including piano, strings, and synthesisers.
Maye argued that Sinach commercially released the song without formalising an agreement or compensating him, thereby violating his performer’s rights.
He demanded general damages of N5 billion for the alleged cumulative infringements.
Through his legal counsel, Maye also sought relief mandating that, in the absence of a written agreement between him and Sinach, all fees from licences or assignments of copyright in “Way Maker” be shared equitably between them as co-owners.
Backstory
In another case, gospel singer Nnenna Goodness revealed in 2025 that, despite her popularity, she no longer owns the rights to her music.
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Ms Goodness, best known for her song “He Has Promised He Will Never Fail” and her 2014 album “Total Worship in Ebube”, lamented that she has been left in poverty while others profit from her work.
At the time, her song remained on YouTube, but most uploads were by other users or covered by different singers, making it difficult for her to assert ownership or receive royalties.
Additionally, “He Has Promised He Will Never Fail” was not explicitly credited to her, nor did it include a precise release date.
Her situation mirrored that of rapper Ruggedman, who discovered that his albums were being sold online without him receiving any earnings.
Ruggedman told this newspaper that, in his early days, social media did not exist. By the time he became aware of platforms like iTunes, others had already uploaded and monetised his albums, leaving him without royalties.
