Director General, National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Yusuf Usman, disclosed this on Friday when curators from northeastern states visited in Abuja.
He said, “We are engaging other museums and European countries to regain all Benin artifacts.
“We want foreign museums to accept first that these are Nigerian objects. That they were taken out of Nigeria during the colonial period when there were no laws or that they were taken through the porous borders does not reduce the fact that they are Nigerian objects.”
Yusuf said that 100 heritage sites have been discovered by the commission across the country.
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| The British stole many artifacts from Benin Empire |
He said the sites would be declared as national monuments in January by President Goodluck Jonathan to celebrate the centenary amalgamation of the country.
He said, “All the communities where the sites are located have been contacted. After the notice given out in the newspapers, which is part of the condition, we hope the President will declare them as national monuments to celebrate the amalgamation of the southern and northern protectorates.”
Usman also revealed that the commission had recovered many artifacts from the United States, France, Canada and a few others, adding that efforts were on to recover many others from foreign and private museums.
“These have been brought back to Nigeria through diplomatic channels,” he said.
There was a time there were no laws in Nigeria and the white men came and stole away our Benin rich artifacts. What a criminal way to acquire wealth illegally especially from our colonial masters. They have to return our stolen artifacts and be made to pay for the losses caused Nigerian.
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