President Muhammadu Buharu’s government has asked Britain to return artefacts it looted from Nigeria.
Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, stated this in London after a meeting with the officials of the British Museum.
“Before now, they said we did not make a demand. But in October last year, almost nine months ago, we made a formal request for the return of the artefacts, especially the Benin bronzes, for which we have not got any response,” the minister said.
Noting that Germany returned 1,130 Benin bronzes, Mr Mohammed said, “We also made it clear to them that they cannot hide under the legislation, and no act of parliament will make what you (British government) have stolen to become yours.”
He noted that countries like France, Belgium, and Germany were returning artefacts in their countries, while Canada had also promised to do so.
Mr Mohammed, however, said they would not rest until Britain did the right thing by returning what they looted from the country a century back.
The artefacts, mostly Benin bronzes, were looted by British soldiers when they occupied Benin city in 1887.
(NAN)