Nigerian gospel musician, Yinka Ayefele, has addressed allegations of copyright infringement made by veteran folk singer Beautiful Nubia (Segun Akinlolu).
The controversy began last week when Beautiful Nubia publicly accused Ayefele and another artiste Bakare Boluwatife Oluwatobi (BBO) of lifting the core melodies from his classic hit ‘Seven Lifes’ without credit.
He specifically called out Ayefele’s 2012 track ‘My Faith in God (Igbagbo Ireti),’ and a 2026 song titled ‘Amin’ by BBO.
Nubia suggested that the act is part of a broader trend among Nigerian gospel musicians who allegedly appropriate the works of others without acknowledgement.
“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 on X.
“When will Nigerians (especially the so-called gospel musicians) learn to respect copyright?”
In his response, Ayefele stated that “online stunts don’t bother me,” suggesting that he viewed the public call-out on social media as an unnecessary distraction.
In the now-deleted post, the ace singer questioned the validity of the claim.
He also challenged Beautiful Nubia to clarify the origins of the disputed musical piece.
“WHO IS THE COMPOSER OF EBAMI GBONDO YI GBE ..JANGBALAJUGBU …. Who was acknowledged.. INFRINGEMENT AYE..,” he wrote.
The dispute has sparked a wider conversation in the Nigerian music industry regarding intellectual property rights and the ethics of sampling melodies without credit, particularly within the gospel genre.
