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London Museum Returns Looted Benin Artefacts To Nigeria

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London Museum Returns Looted Benin Artefacts To Nigeria

A small museum in southeast London has begun formal procedures to return looted Benin artifacts to Nigeria.

The Horniman Museum, which houses a collection of 72 valuables looted from the city of Benin in 1897, formally surrendered ownership of the artifacts to the Nigerian government on Monday.

Horniman explained that the return of the loot was a “moral and appropriate” response to a request from Nigeria’s National Museums and Monuments Commission.

Whether the thousands of items held in major institutions around the world, including the British Museum, will be returned is still in question.

However, among the first six items returned were two Benin bronze plaques from the royal palace, which were presented to Nigerian authorities at a ceremony handing over the 72 loot. These items were taken out of Benin City by British forces in February 1897.

Honiman Museum and Gardens Executive Director Nick Merriman and his NCMM Executive Director Professor Abba Tigiani have been informed by journalists of the handover of 900 objects held by the British Museum ahead of the official handover. I was asked if I was frustrated with being passive. Owned for over a century.

Merriman, who said the Horniman had been an “excellent example” of leadership, stated that, “Journalists who ask me about the Benin return always want to ask me about the British Museum.”

“I would rather talk about what an excellent example the Horniman is rather than answer questions about the British Museum.”

The six objects selected in consultation with the NCMM as being representative of the collection of 72 items form the first wave of physical repatriation of Benin objects from the Horniman.

A new agreement between the NCMM and the Horniman will allow the remainder to stay in Britain on loan for now, with a second phase of physical repatriations to follow in due course.

Professor Tijani later explained that about 5,000 Benin bronzes were currently “scattered” around the world.

He said that he is hoping that talks with various institutions may result in deals that could herald the items being returned from places including Germany and the U.S.

NAN

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