New Telegraph

Germany returns 22 looted Benin Bronzes

…as FG pleads for release of 900 stolen artefacts

The Minister of Information And Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has asked the British Museum to return the over 900 Benin Bronzes to Nigeria. Mohammed made the call yesterday at the official handover of 22 looted Benin Bronzes by Germany to Nigeria. He commended Germany for returning the artefacts stolen during the British invasion of the Benin Kingdom, noting that because of what Germany has done, negotiations with other nations, institutions and museums for repatriation of the Benin Bronzes in their possession became swifter.

The handover of the artefacts held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja, also had in attendance the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama; Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare; Germany’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Annalena Baerbock; Germany’s Minister of State for Culture, Claudia Roth; the Nigerian Ambassador to Germany, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar; Director General, National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Prof. Abba Tijani Mohammed said: “We call on all other nations, institutions, museums and private collectors still holding on to Nigerian antiquities to release them.

“Particularly, we call on the British Museum to release the more than 900 Benin Bronzes in its hold. “A year has rolled by since Nigeria submitted an official letter to the British Museum demanding the return of Nigerian antiquities in this museum. “Yet there has been no reply of any kind. I visited in July this year hoping that the success recorded with the Germans will nudge the British Museum to do what is right. But I met a brick wall.” “The British Museum and all those holding on to our artefacts must understand that repatriation is a cause which time has come.”

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