The Netherlands, announced on Wednesday, that it would return more than 100 “Benin Bronzes” to Nigeria.
These artefacts were looted by British troops during a raid in the late 19th century and later found their way into a Dutch museum.
The Dutch government confirmed in a statement that the repatriation followed a formal request from the Nigerian government.
The 113 pieces being returned represent the largest collection of Benin Bronzes yet to be repatriated from the 1897 raid, according to Olugbile Holloway, Director General of the Nigerian National Commission for Museums and Monuments.
“Following Nigeria’s request, the Netherlands is returning 113 ‘Benin Bronzes’ from the National Collection.
Minister Eppo Bruins (OCW) has decided to return them,” the statement read.
The transfer agreement will be officially signed on Wednesday by Dutch Minister of Education, Culture, and Science, Eppo Bruins, and Holloway of the NCMM.
“This return contributes to the redress of a historical injustice that still affects us today,” said Minister Eppo Bruins in the statement.
This repatriation follows similar actions by other countries, including Germany, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
British soldiers looted the bronze sculptures, which include depictions of royal figures and animals, during the 1897 invasion of the Kingdom of Benin, in what is now southern Nigeria.
While several countries have returned these artefacts, the British Museum in London has continued to resist calls for repatriation, citing a law passed in 1963 that prevents the museum from returning its collection.
The looted treasures were sold and eventually displayed at the Wereldmuseum (World Museum) in Leiden, Netherlands, before this week’s historic repatriation decision.
