Sinach Way Maker copyright lawsuit of ₦5 billion has been completely dismissed by the Federal High Court in Lagos, confirming her sole ownership.
One of Nigeria’s most celebrated gospel voices can finally breathe easy. The Federal High Court in Lagos has completely dismissed the ₦5 billion lawsuit that had been filed against Sinach — born Osinachi Joseph Egbu — over her beloved global anthem, Way Maker.
After carefully considering everything placed before the court, Justice A. Lewis-Allagoa concluded that the plaintiff failed to establish any form of authorship or ownership over the song. Sinach is, and always has been, the sole creator of Way Maker.
The man who brought the case was music producer Michael Oluwole, popularly known as Maye. His argument, captured in Suit No. FHC/L/CS/402/2024, was that he had co-authored and arranged significant parts of the track back in 2015 and that he deserved both ₦5 billion in damages and an ongoing cut of every licensing deal and royalty the song has earned across the globe.
But when the evidence was laid bare, the court saw something very different. Justice Lewis-Allagoa found that Maye had been brought in through a simple verbal arrangement — not as a co-creator, but as a studio professional hired to mix and master a song that Sinach had already fully brought to life on her own.
Sinach Way Maker copyright lawsuit
He was brought in at the final stage. The song already existed before he ever touched it. And Nigerian copyright law is unambiguous — doing technical work on someone else’s creation doesn’t make it yours. It never has.
Emeka Etiaba, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, led Sinach’s legal team and made the case clearly — Way Maker had already been written, arranged, and performed by Sinach long before it ever landed in any recording studio for finishing work.
The Creator Owns the Work This part of the ruling is something every creative person should understand. The law doesn’t give ownership to whoever had the loudest claim or the biggest demand. It gives it to whoever actually created the thing — the one who found the words, heard the melody in their head first, and built something from nothing. That’s where it starts and that’s where it stays. Technical contributors, no matter how skilled, don’t inherit that right. Sinach Way Maker
He Collected His Payment in 2015 Evidence from cross-examination confirmed that Maye was paid his agreed fee for the mixing work when the job was completed in 2015. There was no deal for future royalties. No agreement for shared ownership. He was paid for a service, the service was rendered, and that chapter was closed years ago. Sinach Way Maker
Complete Dismissal: The judge dismissed every single relief sought by the plaintiff, leaving Sinach’s catalog intact without any financial or moral liability. Sinach Way Maker
Reacting shortly after the court session, Joseph Egbu, Chairman of Slic Inspire Ltd. and GOSGEM Records Ltd., extended deep gratitude to the legal team for securing a watertight verdict. GOSGEM also released an official press statement celebrating the total vindication of the gospel icon. Sinach Way Maker
The Sinach Way Maker ruling sends a strong signal to producers, audio engineers, and recording artists operating across Nigeria’s entertainment landscape. For years, informal studio oral agreements have triggered messy courtroom battles once a record hits international success. Sinach Way Maker
People who practice intellectual property law are pointing to this judgment as something the creative industry genuinely needed. Because for too long, the lines have been blurry. Artists bring in engineers, producers, and session hands — people who contribute technically — and somewhere down the road those same people reappear with ownership claims worth billions.
This ruling says no. If there was no written agreement giving you co-ownership from day one, then the fact that you mixed the song, adjusted the instrumentals, or sat in the session doesn’t entitle you to anything beyond what you were originally paid to do.
What do you think about the court’s decision regarding studio engineers and song co-ownership?
Drop your views in the comments below, and share this article!
If It Matters, It’s NewsFlash.
New to our page? FOLLOW us to keep up with all the latest entertainment news
