Below follow two reactions from Nigeria and one from France24.
In the magazine Leadership, journalist Chinelo Chikelu summarises some of the controverses. One is around the agreement between the Nigerian government and Germany, which lacks explicit mention of restitution and instead includes a ten-year loan period for some of the bronze works to be displayed in German museums.
Another is the question why the bronze works should be handed over to the Oba of Benin if the repatriation is a government-to-government transaction.
Finally, concerns are raised about the security of the artifacts against theft and their accessibility to the public once under the custody of the Oba.
In the second article, the social cultural group, Edo National Voice (ENV), argues in favour of the Oba as the guardian of the objects. It has called on the new president, Bola Tinubu, to sack the director general of the NCMM, Abba Isa Tijanni, for allegedly impeding the actualisation of the return of the Benin artefacts to their place of original abode.
ENV said when DG Tijanni is exited from his office, he should tell Nigerians his role in the return of the repatriated looted Benin artefacts.
In the group’s view, Mr Tijanni is ‘an impediment to the actualisation of the return of Benin artefacts to the great Oba of Benin Kingdom as gazetted by the Federal Government’ recently.
France24 offers another summary and analysis of the unrest.
