A Nigerian songwriter, Ewaoluwa Olatunji Nicole, has taken legal action against popular movie star Funke Akindele, Apple Inc, Bello Abdulrasheed, aka JJC, and others for allegedly infringing on her copyright with the songs “Bhad Gyal” and “Opoor,” featured in the movie “She Must Be Obeyed.”
Nicole, known as Ewa Cole aka “Queen of Afro-Solk,” filed the lawsuit through her lawyer, Mr. Adewale Williams, in a Federal High Court in Lagos State. Defendants also include Amazon Web Inc., Transsnet Music Nigeria Ltd, among others.
In the suit, Nicole claims ownership of the songs, which she alleges were reproduced without her permission by Akindele in her musical drama “She Must Be Obeyed.”
She told the court that, “Sometime in June 2021, our client was contacted by one Mr Fony a.k.a Tony Age to produce soundtracks for the movie “She Must Be Obeyed” series being produced by Scene One production, Funke Akindele and her crew at that material time. The movie starred several celebrities like Veeiye (as Tito); Waje (as X-cite); Shaffy Belfo as Iya Siyanbola, amongst others.
“Our brief revealed that after writing and recording the two songs, “Bhad Gyal” and “OPOOR” in a music studio with the aid of Mr. Tony a.k.a Tony Age (who was working with the “She Muse Be Obeyed” crew as that time), she handed over the tracks to him with the understanding that Funke Akindele and her crew would reach out to her for payments and recognition.
“After weeks of waiting, our client received the sad news that her songs had been rejected and would no longer be deployed in the production of the series only for our client to shockingly discover thereafter that she has been lied to and scammed, and that her songs were in fact reproduced by Waje and Veeiye and deployed for the production of the said movie without our client’s permission or approval or any credit to her. As a matter of fact, the “Bhad Gyal’ song was mimed by Waje while on stage in the movie, whilst the OPOOR song ran through the background of the entirety of the series.
“The “She Must Be Obeyed” series released in September, 2023 and premiered by Amazon Prime Video is now been watched round the globe and generating several revenues for Amazon, Apple Music, BoomPlay, Funke Akindele and her crew without even the lease recognition of Our Client as the author of chose songs.”
Nicole seeks N300 million in compensation for copyright infringement, along with a perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from further using her musical works.
Additionally, she requests 45 percent of the profits made from the use, performance, reproduction, and distribution of the songs.
| Sahara Reporters
