London museum to return looted African artifacts
LONDON, UK (AA) – A museum in the UK has announced that it is planning to return 72 African artifacts looted during the colonial period of the British Empire.
The Horniman Museum in South London agreed to return the stolen and famed artifacts, including some known as the Benin bronzes, to Nigeria following a request from that country’s National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM).
The artifacts were forcibly removed from the ancient settlement of Benin City in present-day Nigeria by British colonial forces following a military incursion in 1897.
The collection includes 12 brass plaques, known as the Benin bronzes, a brass cockerel altar piece, ivory and brass ceremonial objects, brass bells, everyday items such as fans and baskets, and a key “to the king’s palace.”
“We very much welcome this decision by the Trustees of the Horniman Museum and Gardens,” Abba Tijani, the director-general of the NMM said.
The London museum received the request from the NMM in January this year and undertook an extensive analysis of the objects to ascertain which ones met the commission’s requests.
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