Ceremony Completes Return Of Benin Bronze (Photos embedded)

The University of Aberdeen has completed the return of a Benin Bronze at a handover ceremony on Thursday.

Prince Aghatise Erediauwa, the younger brother of the current Benin monarch; Chief Charles Uwensuyi-Edosomwan, the Obasuyi of Benin; Professor Abba Isa Tijani, Director of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments; Babatunde Adebiyi, the Legal Adviser of National Commission for Museums and Monuments; and Abdul Mohammed Gimba, Director, Museums, National Commission for Museums and Monuments, visited Scotland to receive the sculpture.

They were accompanied by Prince Isa Bayero, a Prince of the Kano Emirates; His Excellency, Suleiman Sani, Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria in UK; and Mrs Edith Ekunke, Retired Director of the National Museum, Lagos.

The University became the first institution to agree to the full repatriation from a museum of a Benin Bronze in March and handed back the Bronze this week, as did Jesus College Cambridge.