The ancient Benin Kingdom on Thursday celebrated another major victory in its decades-long campaign to recover its stolen cultural treasures as Switzerland officially returned 18 looted Benin artefacts, more than 125 years after they were carted away during the 1897 British invasion of the kingdom.
Receiving the priceless artefacts at his palace in Benin City, the Oba of Benin, His Royal Majesty Oba Ewuare II, described their return as a historic act of justice, insisting that the objects are far more than museum pieces.
According to the monarch, the artefacts embody the Benin Kingdom’s governance, spirituality, history and cultural identity, stressing that they rightly belong to the people from whom they were violently taken.
Oba Ewuare said the treasures were looted during the infamous 1897 British punitive expedition, noting that their return marked another important step towards correcting a historic wrong.
The revered monarch expressed gratitude to the Swiss Government, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo, the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) and all stakeholders whose efforts made the repatriation possible.
He described the restitution as another significant milestone in the ongoing campaign to reclaim Benin’s stolen cultural heritage from museums and institutions across the world.
The Oba revealed that since his ascension to the throne, more than 150 original Benin artefacts have been successfully repatriated, adding that the struggle to recover the kingdom’s treasures began during the reign of his grandfather, Oba Akenzua II, and had been sustained through successive administrations.
While welcoming the latest return, the monarch appealed to the German Government to honour its 2022 restitution agreement with Nigeria by facilitating the return of more than 1,000 Benin artefacts still in its possession.
He also urged museums and institutions worldwide still holding looted Benin treasures to return them, describing their continued possession as a lingering legacy of colonial injustice.
Oba Ewuare further commended former President Muhammadu Buhari and President Tinubu for supporting Nigeria’s efforts to reclaim its cultural heritage, while also applauding the Edo State Government, the Edo State House of Assembly and the NCMM for their unwavering commitment to the restitution process.
Earlier, the Director-General of the NCMM, Olugbile Holloway, described the repatriation as another fulfilment of the commission’s commitment to restoring Nigeria’s stolen heritage.
He praised the Swiss authorities for their openness and cooperation throughout the process and assured the Oba that the commission would continue working to recover more looted artefacts.
“The return of these 18 artefacts is another fulfilment of our commitment to restoring Benin’s heritage,” Holloway said.
Switzerland’s Consul-General in Nigeria, Mrs Conny Camenzind, described the handover as a landmark achievement in the relationship between both countries, saying it reflected a shared commitment to justice, cultural preservation and historical reconciliation.
Also speaking, Swiss museum director Prof. Alice Hertzog and Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Blessing Agbebaku, hailed the repatriation as the long-awaited homecoming of Benin’s cultural treasures and pledged continued collaboration to facilitate the return of more artefacts scattered across museums around the world.
