Stolen Artefacts: Experts Back Oba Of Benin Against Obaseki

Historians and experts have said the stolen Benin artefacts that will soon be returned to the country from Europe belong to the palace of the Oba of Benin and should therefore be returned there.

They also advised the Edo State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, to be careful in handling the matter and not allow himself to be on the wrong side of history.

The experts made their views known in separate interviews with the Vanguard on Sunday.

The Acting Head of Department, International Studies and Diplomacy, Benson Idahosa University, Benin, Mr Mike Okemi, said there was no way the Edo State Government could lay claim to the items.

“In Benin Kingdom, those who produce those artefacts, the craftsmen, do so for the Oba free of charge and they also do those things whenever the Oba desires. The artefacts belong to the Oba and they are his personal property. Therefore, those items should be handed back to the Oba.

“We all know that most of the items were looted in front of the palace during the travails of Oba Overamwen Nogbaisi when the British Army invaded the kingdom. In essence, the items are the property of the forefathers of the current Oba.

“Also, we must note that during that period, there was no Mid-Western Region, or Bendel State or Edo State. What obtained than was the Oba of Benin as the leader and voice of the people,” he said.

Okemi, however, advised Governor Obaseki to consult with the palace and elders and let the palace take the lead on what to do with the items.

“The situation should not be that the state government would be the one dictating the pace on what to do with the items, it is what the Oba wants to do with them that the state government should support, ” he said.

Speaking in the same vein, the Acting Head of Department of History and International Studies, the University of Benin, UNIBEN, Prof. Frank Ikponmwosa, opined that the items belong to the Oba of Benin.

“They belong to the Oba of Benin and the palace and should be returned there. They were never government property. They were looted in front of the palace. If the state government wants to come into the picture, it should consult with the palace and elders and let them say what they want to do with the items. It is whatever they want to do with them, that the state government should support,” he said.

Source: Vanguard

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