Oba of Benin Urges Germany to Honor Repatriation Pact as Palace Receives 18 Looted Artifacts

The Oba of Benin, Ewuare II, has called on the German government to honor a 2022 agreement for the repatriation of Benin artworks. This appeal comes as the royal palace officially received 18 Benin artifacts that had been held in Switzerland for 125 years. These returned items are part of a larger collection looted from the Benin Palace during a British expedition in 1897.

During a ceremony, Oba Ewuare emphasized that the returned royal objects are more than just curiosities. He stated they represent a historical record of the Benin people's governance, spiritual beliefs, and artistic achievements. The Oba highlighted that delaying their return perpetuates a form of dispossession.

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The Benin bronzes are not curiosity. They are records of governance, spirituality and curiosity of the Edo people taken by force. To delay their return is to continue dispossession by other means.

Since ascending the throne, the Benin Royal Court has received over 150 original looted cultural objects. Oba Ewuare noted that the restitution process began with his grandfather and continued with his father. He urged museums in other countries holding Benin artworks to return them, framing the request as a necessary step to redress colonial injustices and restore the cultural identity of the Benin people.

The Oba expressed gratitude to the Swiss government, Nigerian officials including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Director General of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Holloway Olugbile, as well as Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo, for their roles in the restitution. He also commended the late former President Muhammadu Buhari and President Tinubu for their commitment to Nigeria's cultural sovereignty.

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I commend the National Museum and Monuments and its Director-General, Mr. Olugbile Holloway for their steadfastness in securing the return of the looted artefacts.