Nigerian folk singer Segun Akinlolu, widely known as Beautiful Nubia, has accused gospel artistes Yinka Ayefele and BBO of copyright infringement, alleging that they copied the core melody of his song Seven Lifes.

In a post shared on Thursday via X (formerly Twitter), Beautiful Nubia claimed that Ayefele’s 2012 track My Faith in God (Igbagbo Ireti) and BBO’s 2026 release Amin borrowed heavily from his original composition. According to him, both songs reproduced the foundational melody of Seven Lifes, raising serious concerns about intellectual property rights in Nigeria’s music industry.

The veteran singer questioned when Nigerian musicians — particularly those in the gospel genre — would begin to respect copyright laws and creative ownership.

“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. “When will Nigerians, especially the so-called gospel musicians, learn to respect copyright?”

As of the time of this report, neither Ayefele nor BBO had publicly responded to the allegations.

The controversy adds to a growing list of copyright disputes in Nigeria’s gospel music space. In 2024, renowned gospel singer Sinach was involved in a legal battle with producer Michael Oluwole, who claimed co-authorship of her global hit Way Maker. She denied the allegation, maintaining she was the sole writer.

Beautiful Nubia’s claims have reignited debate over melody ownership, copyright protection, and intellectual property enforcement within Nigeria’s thriving music industry.