120 years after: Cambridge College to return Benin bronze statue to Nigeria

A Cambridge University college, ‘Jesus College’ has said it will return an antique statue of a cockerel to Nigeria, the Benin city.

This move is coming 120 years of the antique status being looted from Benin city by British colonial forces.

Disclosing this on Thursday, Jesus College, on its website had stated that “this royal ancestral heirloom belongs with the current Oba at the Court of Benin,” while referring to the traditional seat of the once-mighty kingdom in Nigeria.

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It said, “This move is in hopes that pressure will be on other institutions holding up properties of the historic kingdom of Benin and other antique statue or objects by British colonialists during the 19th century.”

A Nigerian advocate of the restitution of the Benin artworks to their city of origin, artist Victor Ehikhamenor, on his Twitter page, had written that “I hope the other institutions follow suit”

The statue of the cockerel was given to Jesus college in 1905 by the father of a student and was on display in the dining hall until 2016 when it was put into storage following student protests over its origin.

The British Museum announced last year that it would loan some of its objects on display that is from Benin to a new Benin royal museum due to open in 2013 in Benin city.

European museums have agreed to contribute objects in their collections, on a rotating basis to the Benin city museum’s display. the British Museum has agreed to a three-year loan that could be extended eventually.

“The loan is being developed in close dialogue with the Benin Royal Court and the Benin Royal Museum project team, although no final decisions have yet been made concerning specific objects,” the British Museum said on Wednesday.