Benin Artefacts: Oba Of Benin Announces Another Breakthrough As Sweden Set To Return 40 Looted Works

by Idahosa Musa

The campaign for the repatriation of Nigeria’s looted cultural heritage has recorded another breakthrough, with the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, announcing plans for the return of about 40 Benin artefacts from a museum in Sweden.

The monarch said arrangements had been concluded for both the legal transfer of ownership and physical handover of the treasured cultural objects, describing the development as a significant milestone in the decades-long struggle to recover artefacts taken from the ancient Benin Kingdom.

Oba Ewuare II made the disclosure during a courtesy visit by the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brigadier-General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), to his palace in Benin City, Edo State, on Wednesday

He said the latest development was the culmination of sustained efforts by successive generations of the Benin royal family, particularly his grandfather and father, who initiated and pursued the campaign for the return of the Kingdom’s looted heritage.

The monarch recalled that the restitution process had spanned several decades, noting that his own diplomatic engagements as Nigeria’s ambassador to Scandinavian countries, including Sweden, Norway and Denmark, provided opportunities to advance discussions on the recovery of the artefacts.

He particularly recounted his encounter with the King of Sweden during his diplomatic service, describing it as a memorable moment in the campaign.

According to him, while diplomatic audiences with the Swedish monarch would ordinarily last between two and three minutes, he was granted an audience of more than 12 minutes.

Oba Ewuare II said the forthcoming restitution exercise was particularly significant because it would involve the simultaneous transfer of legal ownership and physical possession of the artefacts to the Benin Kingdom.

He explained that in some previous restitution arrangements, the legal transfer of ownership was completed separately from the physical delivery of the recovered objects.

The monarch expressed delight that the latest development would bring both processes together, describing it as a tangible outcome of years of diplomatic engagements, advocacy and sustained efforts by the Benin traditional institution.

He said the importance attached to the handover had informed his decision to adjust his schedule to participate personally in the historic event and ensure adequate representation of the Benin traditional institution.

The Oba commended individuals and institutions that had contributed to the restitution campaign, stressing that the recovery of the artefacts went beyond the return of physical objects to the restoration of the history, identity and cultural dignity of the Benin people.

He expressed gratitude to God Almighty and his ancestors for the progress recorded, while reaffirming his commitment to sustaining the campaign until more of the Kingdom’s stolen cultural treasures were returned.

The anticipated return of the 40 artefacts represents another development in the broader international campaign for the restitution of Benin bronzes and other cultural objects looted during the British invasion of Benin Kingdom in 1897.