Oba of Benin receives looted mother hen and bronze plaque artifacts

The Oba of Benin, Ewuare II, has received two looted artifacts from the University of Iowa Museum in the United States.

The returned artifacts, a mother hen and a bronze plaque, were looted from the Benin palace during the British invasion in 1897.

Receiving the items at his palace on Monday, July 15, 2024, the Oba acknowledged that the immediate past president, Muhammadu Buhari, clarified the ownership of artifacts through a recent gazette before leaving office.

Expressing his joy over the return of the artifacts, the Oba referred to earlier items that had been returned to the palace. He noted that while his predecessors began the process, he was able to complete it after ascending the throne.

The royal father emphasized that the artifacts are not merely items but hold spiritual significance beyond the understanding of ordinary people.

He also appealed to political leaders to help preserve the traditions and customs of the land.

“I must commend the immediate past president of the country, President Muhammadu Buhari who made the ownership of artefacts very clear through his recent gazette before he left office,” the Oba said. 

“My forebears started the process of ensuring the artefacts are but I can accomplish the feat when I ascended the throne.

“The artefacts are not mere items, they have spiritual implications which the mere mortals cannot understand.”