The Netherlands on Tuesday handed over a Benin artefact to the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, 129 years after the invasion of the Benin Kingdom.
The presentation was held at the Oba’s Palace in Benin City as part of events marking the monarch’s 10th coronation anniversary.
Chief Lucky Imasue, Chairman of the 10th Coronation Anniversary Committee and a former Deputy Governor of Edo State, said the Netherlands had taken the initiative to return artefacts removed from Benin after the 1897 invasion.
Imasue stated that every Benin artefact belongs to the Oba of Benin, irrespective of the quantity, and added that more artefacts were expected to be returned.
He said the artefact was presented by the Consul General of the Netherlands, Mr Frank Keurnorst, together with Beatrice van Bormann, Executive Director of Museum De Fundatie in the Netherlands.
He described the return on Oct. 20 as significant, as it came exactly 10 years after Ewuare’s coronation and 129 years after many historical objects were looted from the Benin Kingdom.
Imasue recalled that the artefacts documented the majesty of the Oba and the way of life in the kingdom, describing them as historical records that were kept in the palace before the invasion.
“Efforts to recover the artefacts date back to previous Obas, but gained momentum under Ewuare, whose diplomatic experience as a former ambassador helped advance the campaign,” he said.
According to him, the Federal Government, through the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, acknowledges that the artefacts were taken from the Oba’s palace and should be returned there.
He thanked the government and people of the Netherlands for returning the artefact and for choosing the Oba’s coronation anniversary for the presentation.
The Portuguese Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Paulo Santos, was also present at the ceremony.
In his anniversary address, Ewuare praised the Netherlands for returning the historical object after more than a century.
Ewuare also thanked the Portuguese ambassador and the Dutch consul general for attending the ceremony.
He disclosed plans to deepen cultural and historical ties with Portugal, recalling that the Holy Aruosa Church in Benin was established during the Portuguese era in the kingdom.
The traditional ruler explained that his forefathers had tried to embrace Catholicism while retaining traditional beliefs, which resulted in a church whose practices and regalia reflected Catholic influences.
“The Benin kingdom maintains its traditional spiritual portals of communication with Almighty God,” he said.
Ewuare recalled his time as Nigeria’s Ambassador in Rome, where he learnt that the Vatican had begun to recognise African traditional religions.
He commended Van Bormann for her commitment to the assignment involving the artefact and for achieving the set target.
