UK museum to return Benin Bronzes to Nigeria

LONDON: A United Kingdom museum agreed on Sunday to return a collection of Benin Bronzes looted in the late 19th century from what is now Nigeria as cultural institutions throughout the Western European country come under pressure to repatriate artifacts acquired during the colonial era.

The Horniman Museum and Gardens in southeastern London said it would transfer 72 items to the Nigerian government. It added that the decision came after Nigeria's National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) formally asked for the artifacts to be returned earlier this year and following a consultation with community members, artists and schoolchildren in Nigeria and the UK.