Oba of Benin, Ewuare II, has received another stolen artefact from the Kingdom of the Netherlands as a gift to mark his 10th coronation anniversary.
 
Executive Director of Museum de Fundatie Netherlands, Beatrice Von Bormann, presented the artefact in the presence of the Portuguese Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Paulo Martins Santos. Bormann said she was happy to return the object that has been in the museum since 1937.
 
Bormann said an investigation traced production of the artefact to the 18th Century, saying the artefact has travelled round the world. She said it symbolised reincarnation and the Olokun Deity.
 
Upon receiving the artefact, Oba Ewuare II recalled that his forebears had sought to adopt the Catholic faith introduced by the Portuguese in the 15th Century, stressing that the people stood firmly by their traditional worship.
 
Oba Ewuare II said the Benins have their spiritual portal to ascend communication to God.
 
“We have a very unique link with the Portuguese. When I was told that the Portuguese Ambassador was around, it was like telepathy, because I had been thinking already about Portugal,” Oba Ewuare II said.
 
The Benin monarch said he was surprised to learn that the Vatican recognised African traditional religions.