- Embassy: “Single Largest Return Of Antiquities’
By Kolawole Ojebisi
The Netherlands has affirmed its willingness to return 119 Benin bronzes looted during the 1897 British raid on Benin City to Nigeria.
The Dutch embassy in Nigeria said the artefacts should have never ended up in the Netherlands.
The number of artefacts is believed to be the single largest to be returned to Nigeria.
“This restitution contributes to redressing a historical injustice that is still being felt today,” Eppo Bruin, Dutch minister of education, culture, and science, said in a statement issued by the Dutch embassy in Abuja on Wednesday.
“Cultural heritage is essential for telling and living the history of a country and a community. The Benin Bronzes are indispensable to Nigeria. It is good that they are going back.”
Bengt van Loosdrech, ambassador-designate, said Nigeria has been clamouring for the return of the bronzes for over 50 years.
Quoting Olugbile Holloway, the director-general of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), the embassy said the return of the antiquities superseded previous repatriations.
“The return of 119 objects from the Netherlands will represent the single largest return of Benin antiquities directly linked to the 1897 British punitive expedition,” Holloway was quoted to have said.
“We thank the Netherlands for their cooperation and hope this will set a good example for other nations of the world in terms of repatriation of lost or looted antiquities.”
The embassy said the bronzes are expected to arrive in Nigeria later this year.
