Beautiful Nubia copyright allegation sparks debate as he accuses Yinka Ayefele and BBO of copying his 1997 melody
Veteran Nigerian folk and roots musician Segun Akinlolu, popularly known as Beautiful Nubia, has accused gospel artistes Yinka Ayefele and Bakare Boluwatife Oluwatobi, widely known as BBO, of copying melodies from his 1997 album project titled Seven Lifes.
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Beautiful Nubia made the allegation in a post shared on X on Thursday.
The Beautiful Nubia copyright allegation centres on claims that both gospel songs borrowed directly from his original composition.
“There was Yinka Ayefele with ‘My Faith in God (Igbagbo Ireti)’ in 2012 and now someone called BBO with ‘Amin’ this year,” he wrote.
He added that both artistes “stole their melodies from our original song ‘Seven Lifes.’”
The musician questioned when Nigerian artistes, particularly those in the gospel genre, would begin to respect copyright protections and creative ownership.
The Seven Lifes project, released in 1997, is regarded as a landmark body of work in Nigeria’s folk and roots music scene.
Beautiful Nubia has built a reputation for socially conscious songwriting and cultural preservation over nearly three decades.
The allegation has reignited discussion about intellectual property rights in Nigeria’s music industry, where disputes over melody originality and sampling have frequently triggered heated debate.
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As of press time, neither Yinka Ayefele nor BBO has publicly responded to the claims.
David Okere is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering business, governance, public affairs, and human-interest stories with a commitment to accuracy, balance, and public interest reporting.
