The Netherlands has said yesterday that it was returning more than 100 artefacts “Benin Bronzes” to Nigeria that British troops looted in the late 19th century and ended up in a Dutch museum. British soldiers while on colonial expedition in Nigeria stole the ancient sculptures, including depictions of royal figures and animals, in 1897 from the Benin Kingdom in modern-day Nigeria.
The soldiers later sold the loot to the Dutch that ended up in a display at the Wereldmuseum (World Museum) in Leiden.
The Dutch Culture, Education, and Science Minister Eppo Bruins, “With this return, we are contributing to the redress of a historical injustice that is still felt today,” in counties they plundered.
Director General of the Nigerian National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Olugbile Holloway, confirmed that about 113 pieces are the biggest haul returned to Nigeria from the 1897 raid by the British.
“We hope that this will be a good example… for other countries worldwide,” said Holloway in a statement.
He explained that the sculptures, prized for their beauty and technical artistry, are of spiritual and historical significance for the people from that part of Nigeria.
Their theft remains a point of pain for the descendants of those from the ancient Benin kingdom, he added.
Accordingly, he said the move may increase pressure on other institutions to return the Benin Bronzes, especially the British Museum, which has over 900 artefacts.
Meanwhile, there are an ongoing protests and demonstrations being conducted outside the British Museum as part of a campaign for their return.
However, the British Museum in London has continued to live in denial that they have to keep the loot of a famed collection.
They went as much as passing a law in 1963 technically prevents the museum from giving back the treasures to its rightful owners even after admitting it was a proceed of crime.
In 2022, Germany began returning items from its collections of Benin Bronzes to Nigeria.