Gospel musician, Yinka Ayefele, has reacted to allegations of copyright infringement made against him by fellow artiste, Beautiful Nubia, amid an ongoing controversy over the ownership of a song melody.
Ayefele made his position known on Tuesday through a post on his verified Instagram page, where he appeared to question the claim and raised issues about the origin of the disputed composition.
In the post, he wrote, “WHO IS THE COMPOSER OF EBAMI GBONDO YI GBE ..JANGBALAJUGBU …. Who was acknowledged.. INFRINGEMENT AYE..”
His comment comes days after Beautiful Nubia publicly accused Ayefele and another artiste, BBO, of copying the melody of one of his songs without proper credit.
Beautiful Nubia had taken to Instagram on Thursday to express concern over what he described as a growing pattern of Nigerian gospel musicians appropriating other people’s works 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, share similarities with his earlier composition titled Seven Lifes.
Beautiful Nubia, known for his conscious lyrics and advocacy for cultural preservation, has long promoted originality and respect for intellectual property within Nigeria’s creative industry.
Ayefele, meanwhile, remains one of the most influential figures in Yoruba gospel music, with a career spanning decades and numerous inspirational recordings to his credit.
Copyright disputes have continued to surface in Nigeria’s music industry, particularly where melodies, traditional influences and sampling intersect, often leading to public disagreements among artistes.
Legal practitioners have frequently advised musicians to properly document their works and pursue formal legal channels when disputes arise over intellectual property rights.
As of the time of filing this report, BBO has yet to publicly respond to the allegation.
