African artefacts looted by British to be returned

Ownership of more than 100 artefacts stolen by the British military from Africa in the late 19th Century and housed at the University of Cambridge has been officially transferred to Nigeria.

The university and Nigeria's National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) have announced that 116 artefacts will be returned to their home country.

The objects, known as the Benin Bronzes, were taken by British armed forces during the occupation of Benin City in 1897, the university said.

Both the university and Nigerian authorities said planning for the physical return of most of the artefacts was under way and could take place before the end of the year.

The objects are currently held at the university's Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (MAA) in Cambridge.

Their transfer follows a formal request made by the NCMM in January 2022 for the return of the artefacts, with the university backing the request and approval being granted by the UK Charity Commission.

The term Benin Bronzes refers to thousands of metal sculptures, plaques and carvings made between the 15th and 19th Centuries and taken by British troops in 1897 from the Kingdom of Benin, in what is now Nigeria's Edo State.

The works, widely admired for their craftsmanship, are considered to be of deep spiritual and historical importance to the people of the region.

The director general of the NCMM, Olugbile Holloway, told the BBC the artefacts would be housed in museums in Lagos and Benin City.

"We expect this to happen before the year ends," he said.

A new, permanent exhibition is expected to open in the future.

The University of Cambridge said that while 116 pieces would be returned, 17 would remain on loan and on display at the MAA for three years in the first instance, to be accessible to museum visitors, students and researchers.

The university said, in a statement, that "as one of several UK museums with significant holdings of material taken from Benin in 1897, the MAA has been involved in long-term research and engagement projects in partnership with Nigerian stakeholders and representatives from the Royal Court of the Benin kingdom, as well as artists, academics and students from Nigeria".

Prof Nicholas Thomas, director of the MAA, said: "It has been immensely rewarding to engage in dialogue with colleagues from the National Commission of Museums and Monuments, members of the Royal Court, and Nigerian scholars, students and artists over the last 10 years.

"Over the period, support has mounted, nationally and internationally, for the repatriation of artefacts that were appropriated in the context of colonial violence.

"This return has been keenly supported across the university community."

Holloway added: "The return of cultural items for us is not just the return of the physical object, but also the restoration of the pride and dignity that was lost when these objects were taken in the first place."

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