Nigerian musician Segun Akinlolu, popularly known as Beautiful Nubia, has accused gospel singers Yinka Ayefele and Bakare Boluwatife Oluwatobi (BBO) of using melodies from his song “Seven Lives” without giving him credit.

In an Instagram post on Thursday, Beautiful Nubia claimed that while Ayefele ‘stole’ his melody for “Igbagbo Ireti,” BBO did the same for “Amin.”

“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,” Beautiful Nubia said.

“Seven Lifes,” one of Beautiful Nubia’s earlier works, is known for its distinctive melody blending traditional Nigerian rhythms with modern arrangements.

Beautiful Nubia emphasised that taking someone else’s creative work without acknowledgment is wrong.

“Stealing na stealing, e no get another name. Well, you could call it thievery,” he said.

He added, “When will Nigerians (especially the so-called gospel musicians) learn to respect copyright?”

Speaking to Peoples Gazette on the allegations, Ayefele questioned the scope of copyright claims in music, asking, “Can one claim a melody or claim your copyright on lyrics and compositions? Can you claim the tone on the keyboard and guitar, that you are the one who generated it?”

He indicated that he does not view online allegations as sufficient reason to comment further, emphasising that elements such as melody or instrumental tones are not easily owned.

“I don’t respond to social media stunts,” he said.

Ayefele’s general manager, Wuyi Aderibigbe, also said the team was not interested in engaging, noting that “if we had copyright infringement in his song, he knows what to do.”

Meanwhile, BBO did not immediately respond to The Gazette’s request for comments on Beautiful Nubia’s allegation.