A traditional music ensemble called United Boys Culture of Etche, based in Rivers State, has accused popular Nigerian artist, Inetimi Alfred Timaya Odon, known as Timaya, of allegedly plagiarizing their song.
According to reports from Naija News, the group leader shared a video on their TikTok page, claiming that Timaya’s latest track, ‘Dey Your Dey’, borrowed elements from their own song with the same title without obtaining permission.
Expressing their concerns, the group leader urged Timaya to refrain from appropriating their intellectual property. They highlighted that Timaya had previously incorporated another of their tracks, ‘As E Dey Sweet Us, E Dey Pain Dem’, which has been trending since October of the preceding year, without seeking consent.
In the video, the group leader appealed directly to Timaya, stating, “I want to use this opportunity to call on our brother, Mr. Timaya. I am the leader of United Boys Culture of Etche, Rivers State. We are the original owners of the song, ‘Dey Your Dey.’ I want to plead with you, you know that the song has been trending since October last year. If you want to remix our song, you are supposed to seek our permission.
“But you just went ahead to remake the song. That was how you remake ‘As E Dey Sweet Us, E Dey Pain Dem’ without our permission. Please, leave our songs. I am begging you, Mr. Timaya.” [sic]
