The 125-year-old bronze statue kept in Glasgow Life Museum in Scotland will be repatriated. It has been reported that 17 bronze statues of 125 years smuggled to Europe during the Benin Kingdom will be delivered to Nigeria by Scotland.
The representatives of the Nigerian Ministry of Information and Culture, who met with the officials of the Glasgow Life Museum, stated that there are 17 bronze statues of them in the Scottish museum.
Nigeria’s former United Nations General Assembly President, Tijjani Muhammad Bande, noted that these artifacts were smuggled in 1897. He then said that the Scottish government had agreed to return these artifacts.
Underlining that many Nigerian artifacts are found abroad, Tijjani also stated that the government continues to work on the return of these artifacts.
SCULPTURES WILL BE RETURNED
Last year, Germany decided to return the historical artifacts belonging to Nigeria that they exhibited in their museums. Among the historical artifacts exhibited in various museums of European countries, the statues in Scotland will be returned.
Hundreds of historical artifacts, including the “Oba” bronze statue stolen from Nigeria’s pre-colonial and colonial period, are exhibited in various museums in the USA and European countries.
Although Nigeria has been carrying out various studies for the return of historical artifacts that have been smuggled recently, the British Government does not take kindly to this idea.
