Says over 150 artefacts returned so far
The Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, has formally received 18 Benin artefacts that have been in the custody of the Swiss government for the past 125 years.
The Oba, while receiving the artefacts from a Swiss delegation led by the Director-General of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), Olugbile Holloway, on Thursday evening at his palace in Benin City, stressed that the cultural royal objects are not merely items of curiosity but represent records of governance, spirituality and the artistry of the Edo people that were taken by force.
The objects include an ancestral head of a Benin Oba looted during the 1897 punitive expedition against the Benin Royal Court by British forces.
The elated Benin monarch sent a message of gratitude to the Swiss government; President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Olugbile Holloway and members of his team, Governor Monday Okpebholo, and other stakeholders for their efforts towards the restitution process that led to the recovery of the priceless treasures.
“The Benin bronzes are not curiosity. They are records of governance, spirituality and curiosity of the Edo people taken by force. To delay their return is to continue dispossession by other means,” he said.
The Oba also confirmed that the Benin Royal Court has received over 150 original looted Benin cultural objects since he ascended the throne of his forebears. He gave a historical account of the restitution process that began during the reign of his grandfather, Oba Akenzua II, after his father received the first batch of repatriated Benin artefacts, following the rebuilding of the Benin Royal Palace by Oba Eweka II after it was breached by British military invaders.
He called on the German government to honour the 2022 agreement it voluntarily entered into with the Nigerian government to return over 1,000 Benin artworks, finalise the logistics, and facilitate their repatriation.
Oba Ewuare II also charged officials of museums in other countries that are illegally in possession of looted Benin artefacts to address the colonial injustice against the cultural identity and values of the Benin people.
The traditional ruler particularly commended former President Muhammadu Buhari and President Bola Tinubu for their unwavering commitment to Nigeria’s cultural sovereignty and their invaluable support for the repatriation of looted artefacts to their original home. He also praised Governor Monday Okpebholo and the Edo State House of Assembly for being advocates of justice.
Making a rare move by dancing around the cultural objects, the Oba added: “I commend the National Commission for Museums and Monuments and its Director-General, Mr Olugbile Holloway, for their steadfastness in securing the return of the looted artefacts.”
Earlier in his remarks, the Director-General of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Mr Olugbile Holloway, who led the delegation, congratulated Oba Ewuare II during the symbolic presentation of the artworks for maintaining confidence in the NCMM.
“I must say at this point that the Swiss, throughout the entire process, were extremely cooperative, extremely transparent. And they did everything within their powers to ensure that this day came sooner rather than later.
“Today (Thursday), we brought with us a total of 18 objects. Your Royal Majesty, as we have promised, we are committed to these artefacts. The ownership issue has long been put to bed. It is our wish that the National Commission for Museums and Monuments will continue to earn the trust of Your Royal Majesty,” Holloway said.
Addressing the Benin throne, the Consul-General of the Swiss Embassy in Nigeria, Conny Camenzind, expressed gratitude to the Oba of Benin and the governments of both Nigeria and Switzerland for the historic return of the repatriated artworks, which she said symbolised better things to come in the future.
A director from one of the museums in Switzerland, Prof. Alice Hertzog, commended Oba Ewuare II for setting them on the right track in 2021 when the recovery process began.
Also speaking, the Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Blessing Agbebaku, who was joined by the Secretary to the State Government, Musa Ikhilor, and members of the Edo State Executive Council to receive the artefacts, described the event as a homecoming.
He disclosed that the artefacts symbolise the history, identity and cultural pride of the Benin people, vowing that the state government would sustain advocacy for the return of additional treasures.
