The Netherlands has returned a looted Benin artefact to the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, 129 years after British forces invaded the Benin Kingdom and removed thousands of historical objects.

The artefact was presented at the Oba’s Palace in Benin City on Tuesday, October 20, during activities marking the monarch’s 10th coronation anniversary.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the presentation was made by the Netherlands’ Consul General, Frank Keurnorst, alongside Beatrice van Bormann, executive director of Museum De Fundatie in the Netherlands.

Chief Lucky Imasue, chairman of the coronation anniversary committee and a former deputy governor of Edo State, described the return as a significant step in the kingdom’s longstanding efforts to recover cultural objects taken during the 1897 invasion.

Imasue said the Netherlands had initiated the return process and indicated that more artefacts could be returned in the future.

He explained that the objects taken from the kingdom documented the history, royal traditions and everyday life of the Benin people, adding that efforts to recover them had continued across successive reigns.

According to Imasue, the campaign gained momentum under Oba Ewuare II, whose diplomatic experience helped advance engagement with foreign institutions and governments.

He also said the Federal Government, through the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, recognised the historical connection between the artefacts and the Oba’s Palace.

Oba Ewuare II welcomed the return and thanked the Netherlands for its role in restoring the historical object.

The ceremony was attended by Portugal’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Paulo Santos, whom the monarch also acknowledged during his anniversary address.

Ewuare II expressed interest in strengthening cultural and historical relations with Portugal, recalling the country’s historical links with the Benin Kingdom and the establishment of the Holy Aruosa Church during the period of Portuguese influence.

The return comes amid wider international efforts to repatriate Benin Bronzes and other cultural objects removed during the colonial era.

In February 2025, the Dutch government announced that it would return 113 Benin Bronzes from its state collection to Nigeria following a formal request by the Nigerian government. The objects include plaques, figures and personal ornaments that were looted by British soldiers in 1897.

The latest presentation is another development in the campaign to restore the Benin Kingdom’s cultural heritage. However, the identity and detailed provenance of the specific artefact presented on October 20 were not specified in the reports reviewed.