Joshua Akinrinola, an Abeokuta-based photographer, has been unable to recover his camera lens since he lent it to Eti-Inyene Godwin Akpan, a mentor he met at Thinkation, a 2019 training organised by the late Dr. Ubong King, in Lagos.

The lens, according to Joshua, cost N1 million. He said Eti-Inyene, fondly called ‘Sir Inyene’, contacted him via WhatsApp on June 28 2021 to borrow his camera lens for an event taking place in the latter’s church between July 7 and 11, 2021.

“He sent me a graphic design of an event held in his church with the caption, ‘Please can you lend me your 70-200mm lens? I want to use it to document this event in my church next week’. And I replied about 10 minutes later, asking him when he wanted me to send it,” Joshua told FIJ. 

Inyene would later ask his mentee to send the lens on July 2, 2021. On arrival, he called Joshua to confirm he had received it.

Since then, Inyene has refused to return the camera. He would restrict the latter from viewing his status on WhatsApp. “That was not a problem,” said Joshua. “I concluded he was busy.”

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To fill the communication gap after two weeks, Joshua sent a message to his mentor, saying he had a camera and a lens to sell. “On July 16, I messaged him via WhatsApp that I had a camera, specifically a Canon 5Dm4 and a 24-70mm lens, for sale,” he said.

Inyene replied to the message two days later. He said he had been very busy and that he could have bought the camera and lens but he had no money.

THE STINTS 

Joshua’s efforts to retrieve his lens proved abortive. He first asked about the lens on August 1, when he contacted Inyene on WhatsApp, telling him he would use it the following week. But Inyene did not respond until the following day. 

“He told me he was in transit and promised to call when he alighted,” Joshua told FIJ.

Inyene also told Joshua that he had dropped his camera bag at his sister’s place. 

“He also said he could tell his sister or her husband to send me the lens that week, but he never did, despite a series of follow-ups,” said Joshua.

During this time, Joshua lost contracts of about a million naira. He said he lost a contract of N500,000 on August 21, and another N300,000 job subsequently.

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A few days later, Inyene told Joshua the item was stolen from her sister’s place, including his camera. However, he promised to pay off, according to Joshua.

“In a short while, he said I should send him an email so he could explain to me what happened,” said Joshua.

“On August 31, I reached out to Jean-Fidele, who Inyene referred to as Ebenezer. Two days later, he reverted to me and told me Inyene denied my claims.”

Inyene, as FIJ would learn, sent an email to Joshua. “On September 3, I got an e-mail from him that I had come to Lagos to get my lens. He said he had no business with me again,” Joshua recounted. “I became very devastated and broken, knowing I had fallen a victim.”

Joshua has since opted for a legal approach to get his lens. “He was served a copy of the case at his office in Lagos and he has been boasting that we would soon hear from his legal team, but nothing up till now,” he said.

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Despite this, Inyene, according to Joshua, would not stop threatening him, insisting he had given him his lens and he should not ask him again.

Inyene did not respond to FIJ’s calls. As of press time, he had also not responded to a text sent to him.