Church Of England Agrees To Return Two Benin Bronzes Given To Late Archbishop Of Canterbury In 1982

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The Church of England will repatriate two Benin Bronzes to Nigeria despite the artworks being gifted to a former Archbishop of Canterbury during a tour of Nigeria about 40 years ago, the Telegraph of UK reported.

Following Black Lives Matter protests, there have been renewed calls to return the sculptures created for royalty in the Kingdom of Benin, present-day Nigeria, most of which were seized by British forces in 1897.

The Church owns two statues given to Archbishop Robert Runcie during an Easter visit to Nigeria in 1982 by the University of Nigeria and by then governor of Bendel State, Professor Ambrose Alli on behalf of the nation’s modern-day Benin region.