The Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, has received 18 Benin artefacts repatriated from Switzerland after more than 125 years, describing the returned treasures as enduring symbols of the Benin Kingdom’s governance, spirituality and artistic heritage rather than mere objects of curiosity.
The artefacts, which include an ancestral head of a Benin monarch, were among items looted during the 1897 British punitive expedition against the Benin Royal Court in present-day Edo State.
Receiving the artefacts at his palace in Benin City, the monarch thanked the Swiss government, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), Edo State governor Monday Okpebholo, and other stakeholders for their efforts in securing the return of the priceless cultural objects.
“The Benin bronzes are not curiosity. They are records of governance, spirituality and artistry of the Edo people taken by force. To delay their return is to continue dispossession by other means,” the Oba said.
Oba Ewuare disclosed that the Benin Royal Court has recovered more than 150 original looted Benin cultural objects since he ascended the throne.
He traced the restitution campaign to the reign of his grandfather, Oba Akenzua II, noting that it gathered momentum after his father received the first batch of repatriated artefacts following the reconstruction of the Benin Royal Palace by Oba Eweka II after its destruction during the 1897 invasion.
The monarch urged the German government to honour the 2022 agreement it voluntarily entered into with the Nigerian government by completing arrangements for the return of more than 1,000 Benin artworks still in its custody.
He also appealed to museums and institutions in other countries still holding looted Benin artefacts to correct what he described as a lingering colonial injustice by returning the cultural treasures to their rightful owners.
Oba Ewuare commended former President Muhammadu Buhari and President Bola Tinubu for their commitment to Nigeria’s cultural sovereignty and support for the repatriation of looted artefacts.
In a symbolic moment during the ceremony, the monarch performed a traditional dance around the returned artefacts before commending the NCMM and its Director-General, Olugbile Holloway, for their commitment to the restitution process.
“I commend the National Commission for Museums and Monuments and its Director-General, Mr Olugbile Holloway, for their steadfastness in securing the return of the looted artefacts,” he said.
Earlier, NCMM Director-General Olugbile Holloway, who led the delegation to the palace, congratulated the Oba and reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to preserving the returned artefacts.
He also praised the Swiss authorities for their transparency and cooperation throughout the restitution process.
“I must say at this point that the Swiss, throughout the entire process, were extremely cooperative and transparent. They did everything within their powers to ensure that this day came sooner rather than later.
“Today, we brought with us a total of 18 objects. Your Royal Majesty, as we have promised, we are committed to ensuring these artefacts are returned. The issue of ownership has long been settled. It is our wish that the National Commission for Museums and Monuments will continue to earn the trust of Your Royal Majesty,” Holloway said.
Also speaking, the Consul-General of the Swiss Embassy in Nigeria, Conny Camenzind, thanked the Oba of Benin and the governments of Nigeria and Switzerland for making the historic repatriation possible.
She described the return of the artefacts as a milestone that symbolises stronger cultural cooperation and deeper ties between both countries.
A director of one of the participating Swiss museums, Prof. Alice Hertzog, commended Oba Ewuare for providing the leadership that guided the restitution process when discussions began in 2021.
Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Blessing Agbebaku, who attended the ceremony alongside the Secretary to the State Government, Musa Ikhilor, and members of the Edo State Executive Council, described the return of the artefacts as a historic homecoming.
He said the recovered objects represent the history, identity and cultural pride of the Benin people and pledged that the Edo State Government would continue advocating for the repatriation of additional looted treasures from museums around the world.
