We Are Not Against Returns Of Stolen Artifacts To Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Ewuare II Custody – Restitution Study Group

Contrary to the widely circulated story of a US based African American Group objecting to the return of artifacts to the Kingdom of Benin, the group; Restitution Study Group in New York that was credited to oppossing the repatriation of some of the Benin Bronzes to Benin Kingdom under the custodianship Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Ewuare II, has refuted this position.

In an email exchanged with the group and authored by its executive director, Deadria Farmer-Paellmann, the group said, ‘’ Things are not always what they appear to be’’.

According to Deadria, ‘’working in unity will be the best thing for descendants of Benin Kingdom captives and the Oba’’. He noted, ‘’we are not just African Americans, but that of the United Kingdom, Caribbean and European Union and the Brazilian citizens — all DNA Descendants of Benin kingdom captives sold for the manillas used in the bronzes’’ Deadria noted in his mail to www.africantraveltimes.com.

He argued though that, all the transfer agreements with Nigeria are void after the Declaration from the former President and that no one thinks it is reasonable or moral to give slave trade relics to the heirs of slave traders, he noted.

Deadria stressed further that, ‘’this is the one moment to apply Pan African Unity to ensure justice for all of us’’.

He said his group is waiting to hear back from the Oba because they have been in communication with one of his advisors in the past and now is the time for them to work together.

The group noted they were never opposed all transfers, but just the slave trade relics [16th to 19th century made from slave trade manillas; and noted that the 12th to 15th century relics is not tainted with their ancestors’ transatlantic enslavement or their ethnocide and oppression.

 Earlier report has it that the group is moving to sue the Smithsonian to stop plans for the Oba to get even more of its Benin Bronzes and is in talks with the Met to stop it from sending its collection of 154 artifacts to Nigeria.

Restitution Study Group, the non-profit is trying to stop the repatriation of the Benin Bronzes, was quoted in the earlier report that: “These are slave trade relics that are being returned to the heirs of the slave trade. They are rewarding slavery twice.”

‘’The Benin Bronzes were openly stolen from the Oba’s predecessor Ovonramwen in 1897 by British colonial troops in a “punitive raid,” in retaliation for the ambush and murder of unarmed British naval officers and their African porters in the Kingdom of Benin’’.

By Lucky Onoriode George