Adedapo Adesanya
By Adedapo Adesanya
The University of Cambridge has become the latest institution that will return more looted Benin bronzes to Nigeria.
In a statement, a spokesperson of the English university said there would be over 100 artefacts returned. These are mainly made of brass but also include some ivory and wooden objects taken by British armed forces during the sacking of Benin City in 1897.
The spokesperson said: “The Charity Commission has considered and approved the return of 116 historical objects, often referred to as the Benin bronzes, from the University of Cambridge’s Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology to the National Commission of Museums and Monuments (NCMM) of Nigeria.
“The university is now working with the commission to finalise the next steps regarding these Benin bronzes, and we will communicate these in due course.”
She added that some artefacts would remain in Cambridge “on extended loan” to ensure “this west African civilisation continues to be represented in the museum’s displays and in teaching for school groups.”
She further explained: “Those that return physically will be transferred to the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, as is required legally by the Republic of Nigeria, and an approach formally supported by the Oba of Benin.”
In the 1897 attack, when the British burned the city’s palace and exiled Benin’s Oba, thousands of brasses and other works – known collectively as the “Benin bronzes” – were taken and later sold off in London to recoup the cost of the military mission.
The artefacts ended up being scattered around the world in museums in the UK, Europe and the US, with claims for their restitution dating back to the mid-20th century.
The announcement by Cambridge comes as institutions and museums come under mounting pressure to return looted artefacts. Business Post recently reported that 70 artefacts, including the famous Queen Mother Idia, which have been in the Linden Museum in Stuttgart, will be returned to Nigeria.
