A striking oil painting of Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo Ransome-Kuti, valued at N500,000, has gone missing from the studio of its creator, Nigerian visual artist Mitchelle James Innocent.
The 36 x 36 inches artwork, titled “Passion For All: Fela’s Call”, disappeared from Innocent’s Satellite Town, Lagos studio on October 25, prompting the artist to lodge an official complaint with the police.
Painted in 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and the #EndSARS protests, the piece reimagines Fela as a commanding equestrian figure wielding his saxophone instead of a sword, with lyrics as his weapon of truth. The horse is decked in green-white-green accents and Pan-African colours, while the background is layered with Nigerian yellow trumpet flowers. Satirical inscriptions like “Kwarantine” and “Palliathieves” on a rock beneath the horse reflect the turbulence of the period.
Speaking on the loss, Innocent said, “This was not just a painting. I created this work at a time when there was a global crisis, when I was struggling to feed, yet still committed to using my art as a voice. Losing it feels like losing a chapter of my own creative identity.”
Before its disappearance, the painting was showcased at the New Afrika Shrine during Felabration 2024 and at the Art Hotel Lagos. Following Innocent’s relocation to the UK in 2025, the work was accessed for exhibitions and shipment. However, during the documentation and transfer of his remaining pieces in August 2025, “Passion For All: Fela’s Call” could not be located.
The artist has urged galleries, collectors, auction houses, and the public to report any sighting or attempted sale to the police. He also reminded that the painting remains his intellectual property, warning that any unauthorised reproduction or commercial exploitation could result in legal action.
