Okpebholo welcomes return of Benin Bronzes to Oba’s palace

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Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has welcomed the return of Benin Bronzes from Switzerland, describing the restitution as a historic milestone and insisting that the artefacts belong to the Oba of Benin’s Palace.

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Okpebholo stated this while receiving the Director-General of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Olugbile Holloway, the Consul General of Switzerland in Lagos, Conny Camenzind, Director of the Ethnographic Museum of the University of Zurich, Professor Dr Alice Hertzog; Curator at the museum, Dr Alex Malefakis; and other members of the delegation at the Government House in Benin City.

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A statement released by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Patrick Ebojele, on Thursday said Okpebholo thanked the Swiss Government and other stakeholders for facilitating the return of the artefacts.

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He said the Benin Bronzes were not ordinary objects but symbols of the history, culture and spirituality of the Benin Kingdom.

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“First of all, let me thank you for this moment because this is a defining history in our land. To me, there is no point in playing politics with what belongs to the palace.

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“We have culture here. I believe in our culture. Those bronzes are not just bronze; they are symbolic and spiritual to our kingdom. Wherever they are, they will all find their way back to Nigeria to Edo State,” he said.

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Okpebholo stressed that the artefacts belong to the Oba of Benin’s Palace and should remain under the custody of the traditional institution.

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“There is no point playing politics with them. They all belong to the Oba’s Palace. We have only one Oba Palace in Edo State,” he said.

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The governor also reflected on the 1897 British invasion of the Benin Kingdom, during which thousands of artworks were looted and dispersed to museums and private collections across Europe and North America.

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“The British that came here came for a reason. They heard something about the Benin Empire. That is why they came here. They found these things very interesting and took them out of this country to theirs.

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“So now, I am happy that the Swiss Government has decided to say, ‘Yes, let’s return these back to the owners.’ I want to thank your government for taking this initiative in bringing these bronzes back to our palace,” he added.

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Earlier, Holloway said the visit underscored ongoing collaboration between the commission, the Edo State Government and the Oba of Benin in securing the return of looted Benin artefacts.

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“As you are aware, with the topic of restitution and the return of the Benin Bronzes, Benin is ground zero when it comes to that aspect, and the National Commission for Museums and Monuments is at the forefront of the battle for restitution,” Holloway said.

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He added that the commission was working with the Palace and His Royal Majesty, the Oba of Benin, to ensure that more artefacts taken abroad are returned.

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“We are working with the palace and His Royal Majesty to ensure that as many of these bronzes that found their way into foreign museums begin to come home,” he said.

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He added that all the artefacts returned by Switzerland had arrived in Nigeria and were being kept in Lagos pending their symbolic presentation to the Oba of Benin.

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Speaking on behalf of the Swiss Government, Camenzind described the restitution as an important milestone in relations between Switzerland and Nigeria, expressing optimism that it would strengthen cultural cooperation between both countries.

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The return of the artefacts is part of a broader international campaign to repatriate the Benin Bronzes looted during the 1897 Benin Expedition of 1897.

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In recent years, museums and institutions in countries including Germany, United States and Switzerland have returned or pledged to return several of the artefacts following growing calls for the restitution of African cultural heritage.

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