The 125-year-old bronze statue kept at 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 period will be delivered to Nigeria by Scotland.
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 Council Leader, Tijjani Muhammad Bande, noted that these works were abducted in 1897. He subsequently said that the Scottish government had agreed to return these works.
Underlining that many works related to Nigeria are found abroad, Tijjani also stated that the government continues various studies on the return of these works.
SCULPTURES TO BE RETURNED
Last year, Germany decided to return the historical artifacts related to Nigeria that they exhibited in their museums. Sculptures found in Scotland amid historical artifacts exhibited in various museums of European countries will also be returned.
Hundreds of historical artifacts, including the bronze statue of “Oba” stolen from Nigeria during the 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 smuggled historical artifacts related to its country, the British Government does not take kindly to this idea.
