ADVERTISEMENT
  • The Membership Club
  • PT Hausa
  • About Us
  • Advert Rates
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
Sunday, February 28, 2021
Premium Times Nigeria
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Opinion
  • Health
    • News Reports
    • Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Features
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Markets
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • Parliament Watch
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • AGAHRIN
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Opinion
  • Health
    • News Reports
    • Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Features
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Markets
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • Parliament Watch
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • AGAHRIN
Premium Times Nigeria
BUA Group Ad BUA Group Ad BUA Group Ad
ADVERTISEMENT
The retrieved sculpture -- PHOTO CREDIT Government Of Mexico official website

The retrieved sculpture -- PHOTO CREDIT Government Of Mexico official website

Mexico returns ancient Ife bronze sculpture to Nigeria

byJayne Augoye
February 27, 2020
3 min read

The Mexican government on Tuesday delivered to Nigeria an ancient Ife bronze sculpture seized by customs agents at Benito Juarez International Airport, Mexico City.

The Mexican officials said it was intended to be delivered by mail before it was intercepted at the airport just as its buyer tried to bring it into Mexico.

The sculpture, which dates back to sixth century Ife, is that of a man wearing woven pants and a hat, sitting with his legs crossed and holding an instrument.

The Mexican government revealed this on its official website, adding that they have handed it over.

The recovery comes on the heels of the federal government’s resolve to use all “legal and diplomatic instruments” to demand the return of Nigeria’s stolen artefacts and cultural materials worldwide.

The recovery was announced by representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE) of the Secretariat of Culture, through the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), the Embassy of Nigeria in Mexico and the Central Administration of Customs Operation.

A Nigerian treasure

“Specialists from the National Institute of Anthropology and History determined that it was a piece of Yoruba origin,” Diego Prieto, head of the agency, told a press conference.

At the delivery ceremony, held at the headquarters of the Mexican Foreign Ministry, the Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs, Julián Ventura, said Mexico and Nigeria are multiethnic and multilingual nations, therefore, they are engaged in the fight against theft, robbery, and looting of cultural goods.

RelatedNews

National Assembly makes U-turn, says no voting for underage married girls

In 2021, Buhari, Osinbajo will spend N3.4 billion on feeding, travels

UNILORIN announces resumption dates

Ighalo hints at MLS move after Manchester United exit

READ ALSO: Tunisian PM sacks Foreign, Defence Ministers

They said the immediate detection of the sculpture and its subsequent authentication, as well as the conductive diplomatic efforts, have allowed the restoration of this cultural good to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs, Julián Ventura, and the Nigerian ambassador to Mexico, Aminu Iyawa, highlighted the struggle of both countries against the illicit traffic in cultural property

The official said the Mexican Government is also promoting legal measures, within the framework of the UNESCO Convention on the subject (1970), and seeks to strengthen the current international legal framework, being a task “to which we wish to add a growing number of international partners, and where civil society and the private sector can play a leading role.”

Dangote adbanner 728x90_2 (1)

In his remarks, the Nigerian ambassador to Mexico, Aminu Iyawa, said the restitution of the sculpture to Nigeria is an action that adds to the global call to return the heritage legacy that was once expelled to their countries of origin, many of them with a colonialist past like Nigeria and Mexico.

Mr Iyawa said despite subscribing to the Convention on the measures to be taken to prohibit and prevent the import, export, and transfer of illicit property of cultural property, “most countries still do not return these valuable objects of culture to their peoples of origin”.

He highlighted the work of the INAH specialist Raffaela Cedraschi, who intervened in the review and analysis of the piece, determining that it is an important cultural asset for the Yoruba people of Nigeria.

Belgium still owes Nigeria

In a related development, The United Kingdom recently offered to assist Nigeria in retrieving the Ife Bronze Head, an antiquity stolen at National museum, Jos in 1987.

ADVERTISEMENT

It was found with a Belgian collector in London, about thirty years after.

The British Minister for Arts, Heritage and Tourism, Helen Whately, NP made the pledge in London when the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed paid her a visit in her office.

Mr Mohammed explained that the matter dated back to 1987, specifically, on January 14, when the National Museum in Jos was burgled and several valuable objects of art and artefacts were stolen.

He said the antiquity surfaced almost 30 years later in the UK when a Belgian vendor came forward asking for it to be evaluated.

The auction house notified the UK Metropolitan Police who in turn notified, UNESCO and the Nigerian Permanent Representative in the commission.

Mr Mohammed said the Belgian authority claimed that they were not a party to the UNESCO Convention at the time the item was bought by their citizen.

The minister said the Belgian collector is asking for 5 million Euros for an object that he said he purchased for 240 Euros.

The retrieved sculpture Photo credit Melitón Tapia INAH
The retrieved sculpture Photo credit Melitón Tapia INAH

“Our position is that he is not a buyer in good faith and he is not just an ordinary buyer but a collector with a very impressive collection bigger than most museums,” he said.

Onto some cheering news, an Ife bronze cockerel statue donated to Jesus College, U.K, by the father of a student in 1905, is to be returned to Nigeria.

The ‘Okukor’, which the college described as a “royal ancestral heirloom”, will be one of the first Benin bronzes to be returned to Nigeria by a major British institution.

  • WhatsApp
  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Print
  • Telegram
  • More
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Pocket

Support PREMIUM TIMES' journalism of integrity and credibility

Good journalism costs a lot of money. Yet only good journalism can ensure the possibility of a good society, an accountable democracy, and a transparent government.

For continued free access to the best investigative journalism in the country we ask you to consider making a modest support to this noble endeavour.

By contributing to PREMIUM TIMES, you are helping to sustain a journalism of relevance and ensuring it remains free and available to all.

Donate


TEXT AD: To advertise here . Call Willie +2347088095401...


JOIN THE CONVERSATION

  • Disqus (0)
premiumtimes



PT Mag Campaign AD

Previous Post

After three years in detention, court acquits man accused of raping 10-year-old

Next Post

Bill on community policing scales second reading in House of Reps

Jayne Augoye

Jayne Augoye

Jayne Augoye is an assistant editor and covers the entertainment and lifestyle beat for PREMIUM TIMES. She has a master's degree in Media and Communication from the Pan Atlantic University. Twitter: @jaynejones

More News

Udo Jude Ilo. [Photo credit: YouTube]

OSIWA Nigeria lead launches book, foundation in honour of daughter

February 24, 2021
Frontcover of The Village Boy

BOOK REVIEW: Dissecting Anietie Usen’s The Village Boy

February 24, 2021
Front Cover of the book 'Kasie'

BOOK REVIEW: Kasie – A balm for loss, love and life

February 18, 2021
National Arts Theatre, Lagos

CBN signs MOU for renovation of National Theatre

February 15, 2021
Kọ́lá Túbọ̀sún [Photo credit: Yourba Academy]

Yorùbá Academy appoints Kọ́lá Túbọ̀sún programme director

February 10, 2021
A Graffiti mural wall

Three Nigerian artists to unveil graffiti wall murals

January 15, 2021
Next Post
Nigerian Police officers on duty

Bill on community policing scales second reading in House of Reps

The Emir of Bade, His Royal Highness Alhaji Abubakar Umar Suleiman receiving the State Team on the sensitisation against Lassa Fever led by the Hon. Commissioner of Information Home Affairs and Culture, Alhaji Abdullahi Bego

Lassa Fever: Yobe monarch calls for return of Environmental Health Inspectors

Discussion about this post

Search

#EndSARS: Latest Updates




Polaris Bank


JAIZ Ad


NITDA Ad





Glo Ad

Subscribe to News via Email

Enter your email address and receive notifications of news by email.

Join 1,626,355 other subscribers.

Advertisement






netherland biz school Advert

Zenith Advert
ADVERTISEMENT

Our Digital Network

  • PT Hausa
  • Election Centre
  • Human Trafficking Investigation
  • Centre for Investigative Journalism
  • National Conference
  • Press Attack Tracker
  • PT Academy
  • Dubawa
  • LeaksNG
  • Campus Reporter

Resources

  • Oil & Gas Facts
  • List of Universities in Nigeria
  • LIST: Federal Unity Colleges in Nigeria
  • NYSC Orientation Camps in Nigeria
  • Nigeria’s Federal/States’ Budgets since 2005
  • Malabu Scandal Thread
  • World Cup 2018
  • Panama Papers Game
  • Our Digital Network
  • About Us
  • Resources
  • Projects
  • Data & Infographics
  • DONATE

All content is Copyrighted © 2020 The Premium Times, Nigeria

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Health
    • News Reports
    • Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Features
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Markets
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • Parliament Watch
    • AGAHRIN
  • Opinion
  • PT Hausa
  • The Membership Club
  • Dubawa
    • Dubawa NG
  • About Us
  • Advert Rates
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
  • Digital Store
  • DONATE

All content is Copyrighted © 2020 The Premium Times, Nigeria

Our website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.