₦airaland Forum

A bronze cockerel looted by British soldiers in the 19th century and later given to Jesus College at the University of Cambridge will be repatriated to Nigeria.
The artifact, described as a royal ancestral heirloom, was found to have been stolen in 1897 during a punitive expedition in the Kingdom of Benin, in present-day Nigeria, according to the Legacy of Slavery Working Party (LSWP), the college said.


The statue was donated to the English college by a student's father in 1905.
In 2016, the bronze, known as Okukor, was removed from the college hall after students called for it to be returned to Nigeria.


The decision to return the stolen cockerel was not an attempt to "erase history" but became necessary following the diligent work of the legacy group, which had recommended its return, said Jesus College Master Sonita Alleyne.


British forces plundered Benin bronzes when they ransacked the kingdom in the 19th century. The artworks have been sold across Western museums, and the Nigerian government has been pushing for their repatriation since it gained independence in 1960.
Last year, the British Museum in London, which has some of the collection on display, agreed to return some pieces temporarily to the Benin Royal Museum in Edo within three years.

Okayw

When the gods of the land wouldn't let you rest!

That cockerel might be the ancestor of some tribes like that o

A bronze what? This country na joke o.. what is the worth of such? Wooden foul nii

Only God knows the extend of what this Europeans stole from Africa

Jayess:
When the gods of the land wouldn't let you rest!



That cockerel might be the ancestor of some tribes like that o

You sleep and see cockerel pursuing you in your dreams every night

FiremanP:
A bronze what? This country na joke o.. what is the worth of such? Wooden foul nii

It's not about the worth. It's more of the cultural heritage the bronze cockerel holds. And seriously, on an auction sale, that would be worth quite a lot of American dollars

BlackfireX:
Only God knows the extend of what this Europeans stole from Africa

This can never truly be ascertained. Fact is, the Europeans massively exploited Africa, stole a lot of our history and culture with them. The International Museum in London alone holds tons of Benin Artifacts, and they wouldn't return them. If you watched "Black Panther", you'd know what I mean.