The Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, has received another stolen Benin artefact from the Netherlands as part of activities marking his 10th coronation anniversary.
The artefact, an 18th-century piece which symbolises reincarnation and the Olokun deity, was presented on Tuesday at the Oba’s Palace in Benin City.
It was handed over by Beatrice Von Bormann, Executive Director of Museum de Fundatie in the Netherlands, in the presence of the Portuguese Ambassador to Nigeria, Paulo Martins Santos, and the Consul General of the Netherlands, Frank Keurnorst.
Bormann said she was delighted to return the object which had been in the museum’s collection since 1937, noting that the piece had travelled around the world before returning to its place of origin.
“We are returning this artefact to the Oba because this is its place of origin. It has travelled around the world, and we are happy to return it,” she said.
According to investigations, the artefact dates back to the 18th century and was among the items looted during the British invasion of the Benin Kingdom in 1897, 129 years ago.
Receiving the artefact, Oba Ewuare II recalled the historical ties between the Benin Kingdom and Portugal, noting that his forebears almost embraced Catholicism when it was introduced by the Portuguese in the 15th century but chose to retain their traditional worship.
The monarch said the Benin people have a spiritual portal through which they communicate with God, adding that he was surprised to learn that the Vatican now recognises African traditional religions.
Chairman of the 10th Coronation Anniversary Committee and former Deputy Governor of Edo State, Chief Lucky Imasue, said the Netherlands had taken the lead in returning artefacts looted from Benin, adding that more items are expected to be repatriated.
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