Stolen artefacts Okukur: Benin cockrel return to Nigeria – Kontris wit stolen artefacts

College Stolen artefacts Okukur: Benin cockrel return to Nigeria - Kontris wit stolen artefacts

PA Media
Master of Jesus College Sonita Alleyne (left) with Director General of Nigeria National Commission for Museums and Monuments Professor Abba Isa Tijani ahead of di ceremony at Jesus on Wednesday 27 October, 2021.

Today Cambridge University become di first British institution to return one Benin Bronze to Nigeria authorities.

Jesus College hand over statue of one cockerel to di delegation from Nigeria, for one ceremony wey go happen for di college.

Dis dey follows years of campaign by activists for dem to return di bronze statue home.

One master of Cambridge University college don describe di return of di looted bronze cockerel to representatives of Nigeria as a “momentous occasion”.

Di statue, known as di “Okukur”, na British colonial forces tiff am in 1897.

And demd give am to Jesus College in 1905 by di father of one student.

Di cockerel dey among thousands of priceless artefacts wey British soldiers bin take from di palace of di former ruler of di Kingdom of Benin.

Tori be say di loot bin happen during one punishment waka by di British military for 1897, wey cause make dem burn down di ancient City of Benin.

Di incident bin mark major change for di Kingdom of Benin, wey be one of di most powerful for Africa.

Dem sell some of di artefacts and dash some to pipo, plus museums around di world.

On Thursday Aberdeen University for Germany go also be return one of di Bronzes.

Nigeria authorities and activists since don dey call for dia return, dem argue say dem be part of di kontri cultural heritage.

Dem dey hope dis return go mark di beginning of larger scale of return of di Bronzes to Nigeria, wit plans to build one museum wey go house dem.

Kontries wey get di stolen Artifacts and di ones wey don return

E never dey clear how many kontries dey keep stolen artefacts from Nigeria.

But some of di ones wey don dey known don dey return dem and odas agree to return di ones wey dey wit dem too.

For October 2020, Netherlands return highly-valued 600 year old Ife Terracotta.

March 2021 – dem receive Bronze piece from Mexico.

Di University of Cambridge for di United Kingdom agree to return one Benin artefact wey bin cause argument.

Goment bin also secure date for October 2021 to return antiquities from di Metropolitan Museums for New York, United States.

Di antiquities consist of two important Benin Bronzes and one delicate Ife Bronze head.