Beautiful Nubia Accuses Yinka Ayefele of Copyright Infringement over ‘Seven Lifes’ Melody

ByEditor

Feb 19, 2026 #BBO Amin song controversy, #Beautiful Nubia copyright claim, #Fresh FM founder Yinka Ayefele, #Nigerian Copyright Act music, #Nigerian gospel music copyright, #Nigerian music plagiarism allegation, #Seven Lifes melody dispute, #Yinka Ayefele My Faith in God

Segun Atanda/

Nigerian folk and roots musician, Beautiful Nubia, has publicly accused gospel artistes Yinka Ayefele and BBO of copying the melody of his song, Seven Lifes, in separate recordings released more than a decade apart.

In a post shared on X, Beautiful Nubia alleged that Ayefele’s 2012 track, My Faith in God (Igbagbo Ireti), and a recent song titled, Amin, by BBO both borrowed heavily from the melody of Seven Lifes, which he described as 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. 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.

Ayefele, a prominent gospel singer and founder of Fresh FM, released My Faith in God (Igbagbo Ireti) in 2012 as part of his extensive gospel catalogue. The song enjoyed significant airplay, particularly in south-west Nigeria, and reinforced his reputation as one of the country’s leading gospel performers.

Beautiful Nubia, known for his fusion of Yoruba folk traditions with contemporary sounds, released Seven Lifes years earlier. The track forms part of his body of work that often blends social commentary with indigenous instrumentation and melodies.

As of Thursday, neither Ayefele nor BBO had publicly responded to the allegation. There is also no indication that any formal legal action has been filed in relation to the claim.

Copyright disputes are not uncommon in Nigeria’s music industry, particularly in genres that draw heavily on traditional melodies and recurring chord progressions.

Under the Nigerian Copyright Act, musical works are protected from unauthorised reproduction or adaptation, and disputes are typically resolved either through civil litigation or out-of-court settlement.

Industry observers note that determining infringement often requires expert musical analysis to establish substantial similarity between works.

For now, the claims remain allegations made on social media, with no court ruling or official regulatory finding confirming any breach of copyright.