Fela-Inspired Painting Valued at N500,000 Goes Missing

Fela painting missing Lagos as Mitchelle James Innocent reports his N500,000 artwork stolen from his Satellite Town studio

An oil painting of legendary Afrobeat pioneer and Pan-African advocate Fela Anikulapo Ransome-Kuti has gone missing from the studio of Nigerian visual artist Mitchelle James Innocent in Satellite Town, Lagos.

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The artwork, titled Passion For All: Fela’s Call and valued at N500,000 in 2024, measures 36 by 36 inches and was reported missing on October 25.

Innocent lodged an official report with the nearest police station following its disappearance.

Created in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic and the #EndSARS protests, the painting depicts Fela as a commanding equestrian figure armed with his saxophone, with his lyrics symbolising a weapon of truth.

The background features Nigerian yellow trumpet flowers, while the horse is accented in green-white-green and Pan-African colours.

Inscribed on a rock beneath the horse are the words “Kwarantine” and “Palliathieves,” reflecting the challenges of the period in satirical form.

Mitchelle James Innocent expressed the personal significance of the piece.

He 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.”

Passion For All: Fela’s Call had previously been exhibited at the New Afrika Shrine during Felabration 2024 and at the Art Hotel Lagos.

After Innocent relocated to the United Kingdom in 2025, the painting was accessed for exhibition and shipping purposes.

However, during documentation and shipment of his remaining works in August 2025, the painting could not be accounted for.

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Authorities are yet to provide updates on the investigation into the missing artwork, which remains a significant loss to Nigerian visual arts and the legacy of Fela Kuti.