Netherlands Returns Smuggled 600-Year-Old Ife Terracotta To Nigeria

The Kingdom of Netherlands on Thursday officially presented a
smuggled Ife Terracotta antiquity dated to be at least 600 years
old to Nigeria.

The repatriated antiquity was presented to the Minister of
Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed at a ceremony held in
Abuja.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyema, Netherlands
Ambassador to Nigeria, Harry Van Dijk, Nigeria Charge de Affairs to
Netherlands, Kabiru Musa and the Director-General National
Commission for Museum and Monuments (NCMM) were present at the
event.

Receiving the repatriated object, the minister said it was
smuggled through the airport in Ghana before getting to Europe in
2019.

“The smuggler had obtained forged documents purported to be from
a former Director-General of the National Commission for Museums
and Monuments.

“The smuggler ultimately passed through the airport in Ghana
before getting to Europe in 2019.

“The Dutch Customs at Schiphol Airport suspected that the object
might be illicitly imported and alerted the antiquity protection
office known as the Inspectie, which is the Information and
Heritage Inspectorate of the Netherlands, to give an opinion.

“The Inspectie invited Nigeria to prove her case against the
suspected smuggler,’’ he said.

In proving the case, Mohammed said the NCMM acted swiftly by
dispatching its lawyer, Mr Babatunde Adebiyi, to present evidence
and argue for the return of the object.

He said Nigeria was successful in the case and the claim was
determined in its favour.

Mohammed said after all internal procedures, including the right
of appeal, were exhausted, the Government of the Netherlands handed
over the object to the Nigerian Embassy in Hague on Nov. 2.

He noted that with the repatriation of the “priceless and
timeless’’ artefact the federal government efforts at pursuing the
return of Nigerian antiquities had started yielding fruits.

The minister underscored the need for Nigeria to tap into
tourism and other fields, where Nigeria has comparative advantages,
in order to generate income for the nation and secure jobs for the
youth.

“One way of generating income for the country is if our cultural
properties are exhibited around the world to a fee-paying audience,
on the basis of proper agreement that acknowledges us as owners and
confers the right benefits on us.

“But this is not possible for as long as most of them adorn the
museums and private collections of others, who describe them as
their properties,’’ he said.

The minister reiterated Nigeria commitment to joint
international efforts to put a stop to illicit export and import of
cultural goods.

He said Netherland and Nigeria will make a joint presentation on
the repatriation to the UNESCO Secretariat in Paris, so that other
nations might take a cue from it in finding rapprochement and
common ground concerning the issue of return of antiquities.

On his part, Onyema said it is a happy day for Nigeria because
there are many Nigerian cultural assets around the world which have
become difficult to track.

He said some of the assets were taken out of the country for
over 100 years back and some more recently.

The minister said there is underground illegal market for
cultural asset which has made them difficult to identify, retrieve
and repatriate.

Onyema said the government is committed to the restitution of
all the nation’s cultural assets illegally taken and litter across
the globe

Musa said the repatriation was made possible in compliance with
the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Prevention of Illegal Trafficking
of Cultural Heritage which Nigeria and Netherlands are
signatories.

He said that the return of the smuggled artefact was significant
considering the fact that it coincided with 50 years-celebration of
the UNESCO Convention.

The Kingdom of Netherlands on Thursday officially presented a
smuggled Ife Terracotta antiquity dated to be at least 600 years
old to Nigeria.

The repatriated antiquity was presented to the Minister of
Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed at a ceremony held in
Abuja.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyema, Netherlands
Ambassador to Nigeria, Harry Van Dijk, Nigeria Charge de Affairs to
Netherlands, Kabiru Musa and the Director-General National
Commission for Museum and Monuments (NCMM) were present at the
event.

Receiving the repatriated object, the minister said it was
smuggled through the airport in Ghana before getting to Europe in
2019.

“The smuggler had obtained forged documents purported to be from
a former Director-General of the National Commission for Museums
and Monuments.

“The smuggler ultimately passed through the airport in Ghana
before getting to Europe in 2019.

“The Dutch Customs at Schiphol Airport suspected that the object
might be illicitly imported and alerted the antiquity protection
office known as the Inspectie, which is the Information and
Heritage Inspectorate of the Netherlands, to give an opinion.

“The Inspectie invited Nigeria to prove her case against the
suspected smuggler,’’ he said.

In proving the case, Mohammed said the NCMM acted swiftly by
dispatching its lawyer, Mr Babatunde Adebiyi, to present evidence
and argue for the return of the object.

He said Nigeria was successful in the case and the claim was
determined in its favour.

Mohammed said after all internal procedures, including the right
of appeal, were exhausted, the Government of the Netherlands handed
over the object to the Nigerian Embassy in Hague on Nov. 2.

He noted that with the repatriation of the “priceless and
timeless’’ artefact the federal government efforts at pursuing the
return of Nigerian antiquities had started yielding fruits.

The minister underscored the need for Nigeria to tap into
tourism and other fields, where Nigeria has comparative advantages,
in order to generate income for the nation and secure jobs for the
youth.

“One way of generating income for the country is if our cultural
properties are exhibited around the world to a fee-paying audience,
on the basis of proper agreement that acknowledges us as owners and
confers the right benefits on us.

“But this is not possible for as long as most of them adorn the
museums and private collections of others, who describe them as
their properties,’’ he said.

The minister reiterated Nigeria commitment to joint
international efforts to put a stop to illicit export and import of
cultural goods.

He said Netherland and Nigeria will make a joint presentation on
the repatriation to the UNESCO Secretariat in Paris, so that other
nations might take a cue from it in finding rapprochement and
common ground concerning the issue of return of antiquities.

On his part, Onyema said it is a happy day for Nigeria because
there are many Nigerian cultural assets around the world which have
become difficult to track.

He said some of the assets were taken out of the country for
over 100 years back and some more recently.

The minister said there is underground illegal market for
cultural asset which has made them difficult to identify, retrieve
and repatriate.

Onyema said the government is committed to the restitution of
all the nation’s cultural assets illegally taken and litter across
the globe

Musa said the repatriation was made possible in compliance with
the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Prevention of Illegal Trafficking
of Cultural Heritage which Nigeria and Netherlands are
signatories.

He said that the return of the smuggled artefact was significant
considering the fact that it coincided with 50 years-celebration of
the UNESCO Convention.