Nigerian gospel singer Yinka Ayefele has reacted to allegations of copyright infringement made by fellow artiste Beautiful Nubia over the ownership of a disputed song melody.
Gatekeepers News reports that Ayefele addressed the controversy on Tuesday via his verified Instagram page, where he appeared to challenge the claim and questioned the origin of the composition at the centre of the dispute.
“WHO IS THE COMPOSER OF EBAMI GBONDO YI GBE ..JANGBALAJUGBU …. Who was acknowledged.. INFRINGEMENT AYE..,” he wrote.
His response follows accusations by Beautiful Nubia, who alleged that Ayefele and another artiste, BBO, copied the melody of one of his songs without proper credit.
In an Instagram post last Thursday, Beautiful Nubia criticised what he described as a recurring trend of gospel musicians using other artistes’ work 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’. When will Nigerians (especially the so-called gospel musicians) learn to respect copyright?” he wrote.
According to him, Ayefele’s 2012 track My Faith in God (Igbagbo Ireti) and BBO’s 2026 single Amin contain melodic similarities to his earlier composition, Seven Lifes.
Beautiful Nubia, known for his advocacy for originality and cultural preservation, has consistently spoken about the need to respect intellectual property rights in Nigeria’s music industry.
Ayefele, one of the most prominent figures in Yoruba gospel music, has built a decades-long career marked by numerous inspirational recordings and a strong following.
Copyright disputes remain a recurring issue in Nigeria’s music scene, particularly where melodies, traditional sounds, and sampling overlap. Legal experts have advised artistes to properly document their works and pursue formal legal channels when conflicts arise.
As of the time of filing this report, BBO had not publicly responded to the allegation.
