ABSTRACT
The 1897 invasion of Benin traditional empire by British soldiers led to the looting of ancient Benin Bronzes, which have been at the center of conversation around repatriation of stolen African cultural heritage from Europe and America for a long time. There have been efforts in the past by the Nigerian government and the Benin Royal Palace to get back stolen artefacts from UK, for instance. Recent global calls on colonial overloads for the return of looted artefacts from their previous colonial territories and for atonement of colonial atrocities, which included stealing of indigenous art, goaded the Nigerian government to reopen talks with foreign governments for repatriation of the looted bronzes. The awakened international consultations for the return of the looted ancient Benin bronzes forming part of the holdings of museums in Germany and the UK stirred schism among the governments of Edo State (sub-national), the Nigerian Federation, and the Benin Royal Palace led by the Oba of Benin (the Oba Palace is located at the centre of Benin City, Edo State [Province], Nigeria) …
Oriakhogba, Desmond, Repatriation of Ancient Benin Bronzes to Nigeria: Reflection on Copyright and Related Issues (September 17, 2022), Journal Intellectual Property Law and Practice (2022).
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