(MENAFN) A total of 119 cultural artifacts have been returned by the Netherlands to Nigeria, marking a significant moment in the global effort to restore African heritage taken during colonial rule. The collection includes various human and animal sculptures, ceremonial objects, decorative plaques, and a historic bell.

The returned items, widely known as the Benin Bronzes, were officially handed over at a ceremony hosted at the National Museum in Lagos, Nigeria’s bustling commercial capital, on Saturday.

These treasured artifacts were originally taken in the late 1800s during a military raid by British forces on the ancient Kingdom of Benin, located in today’s southern Nigeria. The invasion led to the looting of the royal compounds and the forced exile of Oba Ovonramwen Nogbaisi, who had resisted British encroachment on his kingdom's political sovereignty and control over valuable trade commodities like rubber, palm oil, and ivory.

According to a statement issued by the Dutch authorities, “The return is unconditional, recognizing that the objects were looted during the British attack on Benin City in 1897, and should have never ended up in the Netherlands.”

They added, “The Dutch restitution is the largest physical return of Benin artifacts to Nigeria to date.”

Nigeria’s efforts to retrieve the stolen heritage intensified in 2022 when the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) formally appealed to global institutions to repatriate looted cultural treasures.

That same year, a London-based museum announced the return of 72 Benin Bronzes from its holdings to Nigeria. Shortly after, a museum in the United States transferred 31 more items, including the notable “Head of a King,” back into Nigeria’s national custody.

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