It has been learnt that Nigeria is expecting the repatriation of 119 looted Benin bronzes from the Netherlands.
The Federal Government had made a formal request for the repatriation of the artefacts, which were looted during the British attack on Benin Kingdom in 1897 and they found their way to the Netherlands.
The repatriation agreement was signed yesterday between both countries.
Of the 119 objects being returned, 113 of them were among the Dutch State Collection, while the remaining six were returned by the Municipality of Rotterdam.
The signing ceremony took place at the Wereldmuseum in Leiden, the Netherlands, where the Benin bronzes were previously displayed.
Dutch Minister of Education, Culture and Science, Mr. Eppo Bruins, and the Director-General of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), Olugbile Holloway, signed for their countries.
A statement by Anneloes Hoff of the Embassy of the Kingdom of The Netherlands said the artefacts are expected to arrive later this year, according to the agreement.
The statement reads: “The Netherlands will return 119 Benin Bronzes to Nigeria, following a request from the Nigerian government. The transfer agreements were signed today by the Dutch Minister of Education, Culture and Science and the Director-General of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM).
“The objects are expected to arrive in Nigeria later this year. The restitution underscores the strong partnership between The Netherlands and Nigeria.
“The Netherlands is returning the Benin Bronzes unconditionally, recognising that the objects were looted during the British attack on Benin City in 1897 and should have never ended up in The Netherlands.”
