My Struggles For The Reparation Of Looted Benin Artifacts – Prince Akenzua

Prince Edun Akenzua is a scion of the Benin Royal Family and the Enogie (Duke) of Obazuwa Dukedom in the Benin Kingdom. In this interview with some journalists in Benin City, Prince Akenzua, a frontline advocate for the return of looted Benin artifacts, spoke of his involvement in the campaign for the repatriation of the looted Benin artworks by the invading British troop in 1897, the return of two artworks by Dr. Walker to Oba Erediauwa of blessed memory in 2014 and the recent move to return the cockerel by the Jesus College, Cambridge University, London and the head of Oba (Benin King) removed from ancestral shrine by the University of Aberdeen, Scotland. Sir Ralph Okhiria was there for The RELIANCE.

Happy reading:

How did you get involved in the demand for the repatriation of the Benin artifacts?

I congratulate Omo n’ Oba, Uku Akpolokpolo, Ewuare II on his hosting of guests on Monday, December, 13 2021. It is in his reign that the Federal Government made a pronouncement for the first time, on the desirability of returning Nigeria’s artifacts that were looted from their makers and owners more than a hundred years ago. The Oba spent energy and resources to ensure that the reception was successful.

The Oba heartily and warmly thanked the President, Alhaji Muhammdu Buhari for saying the artifacts will be sent to the Oba and those from other parts of Nigeria to be returned to their places of origin.

I join the Oba to thank the President. He is the first President to ever publicly speak in that tone and concept. Military President, Gen. lbrahim Babagida set up Africa Reparation Movement and named Alhaji M.K.O. Abiola of blessed memory as Chairman. Although the movement’ included the repatriation of the Africa’s looted artwork, he did not go the whole hog or make public demand, as President Buhari has now made. MKO in his characteristics manner worked doggedly to ensure that the looted artworks were returned.

MKO established the United Kingdom and European branch of the movement in London and named Bernie Grant of blessed Memory who was a Member of the British Parliament as Chairman.

I have had the privilege of collaborating with Bernie Grant on the same course for about five years. We were to jointly present a paper to the House of Commons in 1920. May his soul rest in peace.

I know about the Cockerel. A journalist whose name was Colin Freeman and writing for the Telegraph of London came to interview me in 2016, i.e five years ago. His article was published in the telegraph on the 8th of October, 2016. When the students union of Jesus College, Cambridge University, England, protested that the Cockerel must be removed from where it was mounted. Students of Oriel College, Oxford University also demanded the removal of the statue of Cecil Rhodes from the college. The students demanded the removal of the Cockerel from the University because they were sad by its presence there as it reminded them of the British Colonialism and its inhumanity to the colonized people.

A controversial campaign to return a bronze cockerel held at Cambridge University to Nigeria has gained pace after the intervention of the great grandson of the King from whom it was stolen by Victorian explorers.

The cockerel, which has resided in Jesus College since 1930, was removed from public view in March after protests from students that it celebrated a “colonial narrative”. The protests came in the wake of the “Rhodes Must Fall” campaign to remove the statue of Cecil Rhodes, the 19th century colonialist, from Oxford’s Oriel College.

Having removed the cockerel from display in the college’s main hall, Dons at Jesus College are now agonizing over whether to bow to the students’ demand for the further step of repatriating it to Nigeria.

“It is like tracking down a thief who has stolen your car, only for him to tell you that you can’t have it back because there is a risk it might get stolen again,” Prince Edun Akenzua had told the Telegraph of London.

“It is something I have been campaigning for myself for many years without much success. “It is about time these statues came home to their original owners,” HRH Edun Akenzua, added.

What was the agreement signed at the Palace on Monday, December, 13?

I have not seen the agreement signed. I was told five persons signed, including Nigeria’s High Commissioner to London. I was told the High Commissioner said that was how they do it over there.

I wonder why a person who is being given back his stolen property may sign an agreement or MOU? It is ludicrous that a person whose stolen property being returned is made to sign an agreement or an MOU before the stolen goods are returned to the owner. It is colonialism hang-over. For the Federal Government to fall for that ruse or scam make itself a neo-colonialist. A simple letter of acknowledgement would have sufficed. I cannot comment much on this because, as I said, I have not seen or read the agreement signed.

What is the relationship between Oba Erediauwa, the Present Oba and your good self?

Oba Erediauwa was my brother. We were born of the same mother. Oba Ewuare II is his son, therefore my biological nephew. In our custom in Benin, Oba is the traditional father of every Benin person including Uncles, Aunties and Cousins.

You talked about collaborating with the MP Bernie Grant; How did you meet him?

Omo n’ Oba Erediauwa, my brother, set up a committee in 1986 which he named Benin Centenary Committee. The committee was to organize and execute the commemoration of British invasion of Benin in 1897. The Oba named me chairman of the Committee. In that capacity, I and some members of the committee travelled to the United Kingdom, Europe and places where the looted bronze and elephant tusk works were domiciled. It was then I met MP Bernie Grant with whom we carried on the campaign for the return of the looted cultural properties.

Which of the artifacts were brought during and the time of Oba Akenzua I), and Oba Erediauwa?

A British medical doctor, Dr. Walker returned two bronze works, Ahiamwen Oro and a Gong on 20/6/2014 to Oba Erediauwa. Dr. Walker’s grandfather was an intelligence officer, a Major in the British troops that invaded Benin in 1897. Their Commander allowed the officers to take any of the items that they fancied, as a memento. Major Walker took the bird and the gong which passed on to his daughter, Dr. Walker’s mother, to his grand-son. The story and return of the bronze works make an interesting reading.

The doctor did not have a pathological love for the items as his grandfather. Being a professional man, he was also not money driven like most people. He saw how his grandfather “worshiped” the items. One day it just got into his mind that if his grandfather doted on the object that much, how much will the owners from whom they were looted dote on them. He made up his mind to return them to the owners.

Then the drama began. He had heard of my campaigns for the Benin bronzes to be returned. He got in touch with someone who knew some Benin persons in London. They finally got in touch with me through my daughter, Vivian.

I called Engineer Uwoghiren who is the Odionwere of the Binis in the UK and urged them to go to the Nigeria House and see the High Commissioner, Dr. Dalhatu Sarki Tafida and that I will speak to him and request him to facilitate the process by giving Dr. Walker and his team, the Nigerian Visas.

They saw Dr. Tafida. He was very excited to hear from me that Dr. Walker was bringing the item to the Oba free and he was charging nothing. Dr. Tafida then offer to give them tickets along with Visas.

By coincidence, the Minister of Culture and the then Director General of Nigeria Council for Museum and Monuments, NCMM visited London. The High Commissioner was at the airport to pick them up. Back in his office in Nigeria House and still excited by Dr. Walker’s gesture, he told the Minister of what the English man planned to do and how he (Dr. Dalhatu) offered to give them ticket to travel to Benin City.

The DG told the High Commissioner to route the trip to Abuja so that they hand the items to the President. They called me from London and told me of the development. Dr. Walker said they would rather come to Benin City because his grandfather got the items from Benin. What a sense of history?

Surprisingly, the Minister told the Commissioner that if Dr. Walker will not go to Abuja, the High Commission should not issue the tickets.

Just a few days to their flight schedule, they were told the High Commission will no longer issue them flight tickets. I called the immediate past Governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole. He said “don’t worry, your Royal Highness, I will send them tickets”. He gave me the name and address of the State’s travel agent in Lagos and asked me to send Dr. Walker’s name and the other three members of his team to the agent. The former Edo State Governor called the agent and graciously told him to give the four of them first class tickets to Benin.

Your Highness, you keep using the word “Looted” or “Stolen” in describing what the British did after the war in 1897. Did the British troops not simply take away the Spoils of War?

Before the 1897 war, Capt. Philip who was the Assistant British Consul in the so-called Protectorate of Benin had written to the British Home Office, urging them to remove King Ovonramwen from his throne so that British Companies in Benin such as Millar Brothers will have access to trade. Their main interest was Palm Oil, which the British needed to prop up their Industrial Revolution. He told the British government that they did not have to worry about the cost of the war because they would find sufficient ivory and elephant tusk works whose value would compensate for the cost of the war.

British troops fought with artillery guns, rocket and rocket launchers, and maxims against Benin troops armed with only den guns, bows and arrows and charms.

The war lasted twelve days. When Benin fell, the British meticulously searched for the bronzes and ivories which they carried away. They were about four thousand pieces. After that, they torched the city, including the Palace. We have a copy of Capt. Philip’s letter.

The second reason is this. When Dr. Walker brought back the Ahianmwen Oro and the Gong, they also brought a diary which his great grandfather kept during the war in 1897. I told you earlier that his grandfather was an army Major, that fought in Benin.

The diary was kept and written by the Major and contained photographs of Benin and the war which he personally took. Under two of the pictures, he captioned loot” and “more loot”. Those captions show that the British knew in 1897 that they were looting. He brought two replicas of the diary. He presented one to the Oba and he gave one to me.

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