The Oba of Benin, His Royal Majesty Oba Ewuare II, has formally received 18 looted Benin artefacts repatriated from Switzerland after about 125 years, declaring that the priceless cultural objects are symbols of governance, spirituality and the identity of the Edo people, not mere curiosities.
Receiving the delegation led by the Director-General of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) on Thursday, Mr Olugbile Holloway, at his palace in Benin, the monarch said the artefacts were forcefully taken during the 1897 British punitive expedition against the Benin Kingdom and deserved to be returned to their rightful home.
Oba Ewuare expressed appreciation to the Swiss government, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor Monday Okpebholo, the NCMM and other stakeholders for facilitating the restitution, describing the return as another milestone in the quest to restore Benin’s cultural heritage..Read|the|full|article|here. Key Points:
