From Ebohon Joan
The Netherlands has returned a Benin artefact to the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, 129 years after the invasion of the Benin Kingdom in 1897.
The presentation took place on Tuesday at the Oba’s Palace in Benin City, Edo State, as part of activities marking the monarch’s 10th coronation anniversary.
Chairman of the anniversary committee and former Edo State Deputy Governor, Lucky Imasue, said the Netherlands had begun returning artefacts taken from the kingdom during the invasion.
He explained that the returned objects belonged to the Oba of Benin, adding that more artefacts were expected to be repatriated.
The artefact was presented by the Netherlands’ Consul-General, Frank Keurnorst, and Beatrice van Bormann, executive director of Museum De Fundatie in the Netherlands.
Imasue described the return as significant, noting that the artefacts serve as historical records documenting the Benin monarchy, culture and way of life before the 1897 invasion.
He added that efforts to recover the objects had continued under successive Obas but gained momentum during Oba Ewuare II’s reign, aided by his diplomatic experience as a former ambassador.
According to Imasue, the federal government, through the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, recognises that the artefacts were taken from the Oba’s palace and should be returned there.
