The 97 objects, including the bronzes, were taken from Benin City by British troops and are currently held in the collections of the Pitt Rivers Museum and the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. The Pitt Rivers Museum has received a claim for the return of the artefacts from the Nigerian National Commission of Museums and Monuments (NCMM). Oxford University’s council has decided to uphold the claim, which will be examined by the Charity Commission before the return of the items is approved. The university said it expected that claim to be reviewed by the fall. Subscribe to First Edition, our free daily newsletter – every morning at 7am. BST The University of Oxford said: “On 7 January 2022, the Pitt Rivers Museum received a claim from the National Museums and Monuments Commission, Nigeria, for the return of 97 objects in the Pitt Rivers Museum and Ashmolean collections that were taken from Benin City by British armed forces in 1897. “The claim is now being processed by the university following its procedures for claims for the return of cultural objects. “On June 20, 2022, the Oxford University Council considered and supported the claim for the return to Nigeria of the 97 items. “The university is now taking the case to the Charity Commission, proposing to transfer the legal title to the items to the NCMM. “It is expected that the Charity Commission will consider the claim by autumn 2022. “As one of several UK museums holding significant material from Benin in 1897, Pitt Rivers has been involved in long-term research and engagement projects in collaboration with Nigerian stakeholders and representatives from the royal court of the Benin kingdom. “Since 2017, the museum has been a member of the Benin Dialogue Group and has played a leading role in discussions on the future care of the collections.”
