Dare Babalola
Nigerian folk singer Segun Akinlolu, aka Beautiful Nubia, has alleged that gospel artistes Yinka Ayefele and BBO infringed on the copyright of his song ‘Seven Lifes’.
In a post shared on Thursday on X, the singer alleged that Ayefele’s 2012 track My Faith in God (Igbagbo Ireti) and BBO’s 2026 song Amin borrowed their core melodies from his original work.
Beautiful Nubia expressed dismay over the alleged infringement, questioning when Nigerian musicians – especially those in the gospel genre – would start respecting copyright laws.
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?”
As of the time of reporting, neither Yinka Ayefele nor BBO had issued a public response to Beautiful Nubia’s allegation, leaving the claims of copyright infringement unaddressed.
The accusation adds to a growing list of intellectual-property disputes within Nigeria’s gospel music space. In 2024, gospel star Sinach faced a lawsuit from producer Michael Oluwole, who claimed co-authorship of her global hit Way Maker. She denied the claim, maintaining she was the sole writer and that the song had achieved international success before the producer’s involvement.
