The Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, will on Saturday take physical possession of two looted bronze artefacts from Cambridge and Aberdeen in the United Kingdom.
The artefacts were taken from the Benin kingdom by British colonial forces in 1897.
A statement issued by the Secretary to the Benin Traditional Council, Frank Irobor, on Tuesday in Benin, disclosed that the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing, would return the artefacts to Oba of Benin in his palace.
Irabor said the event is in adherence to the directive of President Muhammadu Buhari.
“The general public is hereby invited to join His Royal Majesty in receiving the Benin Bronzes of Okpa “Cockerel” and the Bronze burst of an Oba (Uhunilao) both from Jesus College, Cambridge in Britain and Aberdeen in Scotland, respectively.
“The general public is invited to the physical handing over of the Benin Bronze artefacts to the Oba of Benin. All invited guests are to be seated by 11 am,” the statement stated.
Oba Ewuare II, on his 70th birthday, had revealed that Cambridge University would soon return some artefacts to the kingdom.
The Oba had also explained that the artefacts would be kept in a museum planned to be built opposite the palace.
