By FRANCIS ONOIRIBHOLO, Benin

After 125 years, two of the over 10,000 Artifacts looted by the British Army from the palace of the great Benin Kingdom in 1897 were on Saturday returned to the ancient city of Benin.

Oba of Benin, Ewuare II, received the Cockerel valued at £2 million and the bronze head of an Oba valued at £500,000 from the Jesus College, Cambridge University and the University of Aberdeen, Scotland both in the United Kingdom respectively.

Presenting the returned artifacts to the monarch at his Palace in Benin City, Nigeria High Commissioner to Britain Tunji Ishola, said they were at the palace on the express mandate of President Muhammadu Buhari to personally present the items to the Oba of Benin.

According to the High Commissioner, “I must say I am here just for one assignment. I am directed by Muhammadu Buhari, the president of the federal republic of Nigeria. My assignment is very simple, to directly bring these objects to Oba of Benin Kingdom.That is the presidential directive,” he said.

On the part of the Oba of Benin, Ewuare II, he said the military expedition by the British was not a retaliation for the killing of some British soldiers as most of literatures would have people believe.

The Oba, whose speech was delivered by Prince Aghatise Erediauwa, said the truth is that there was a calculated and a deliberately conceived plan to attack Benin for its territorial dominance and also for her treasures.

Ewuare said the result was a destruction of a civilization which equalled or even surpassed that of the aggressors.(Sunday Independent)

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