Headline

Germany Hands Over Stolen Benin Bronzes To Nigeria

Published

1 year ago

December 20, 2022

Editor

The German Government on Tuesday commenced the official repatriation of 1,130 looted Benin bronzes to Nigeria.

At a historic repatriation ceremony held in Abuja, German Minister of Foreign Affairs, Annalena Baerbock symbolically handed over 22 of the 1,130 looted artefacts to his Nigeria counterpart, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama and the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event was witnessed by the German Minister of State for Culture, Claudia Roth, the German Ambassador to Nigeria Anneth Gunter and over 50 top officials from Germany.

Mohammed said the event would remain indelible in the history of mankind when Germany trail the blaze in doing right to return the looted artefacts.

“Twenty years ago, even ten years ago, nobody could have anticipated these bronzes returning to Nigeria, because the obstacles to achieving repatriation were seemingly insurmountable.

“But today, with the pioneering gesture of a friendly nation, Germany, the story has changed.

“The negotiations were not as easy as things look today. They were stormy at times. But the sincerity of the Germans played a big role in resolving knotty issues.

“Because of what Germany has done, negotiations with other nations, institutions and museums for repatriation of the Benin Bronzes in their possession became swifter,’’ he said

Mohammed said contrary to views in certain corners, Nigeria has the infrastructure to keep the bronzes as they were being returned.

He said that the Federal Government was embarking on infrastructural development around the National Museum in Benin City.

“This will be in addition to the infrastructural development that is being initiated by other stakeholders in Nigeria and the immense support of foreign partners, particularly Germany.

“Easily, Benin City will become a cultural hub for Africa,’’ he said.

Mohammed called on other nations, institutions, museums and private collectors still holding on to Nigerian antiquities to release them.

He particularly called on the British Museum to release the more than 900 Benin Bronzes in its hold.

“A year has rolled by since Nigeria submitted an official letter to the British Museum demanding the return of Nigerian antiquities in this museum. Yet there has been no reply of any kind.

“I visited in July this year hoping that the success recorded with the Germans will nudge the British Museum to do what is right. But I met a brick wall.

“The British Museum and all those holding on to our artefacts must understand that repatriation is a cause which time has come,’’ he said.

Speaking in the same vein, Onyema said Germany and Nigeria had set a standard for the rest of the world to follow.

To underscore the importance of the ceremony, the minister recalled when Nigeria hosted the Festival of Art and Culture in 1977 and Britain denied the country the mask it intended to use as the face of the event.

“When we wanted to host the global historical event, we could not use its original mask that we intended for the festival.

“This is because it is in a museum in the United Kingdom in Britain and we asked that at least they should lend it to us even though it belongs to us.

“Guess what, the answer from Britain was No. So we had to have a replica made of the mask that we used,’’ he said

On her part, the German foreign affairs minister said they found it imperative to return the bronzes to where they belonged after over 120 years it was looted by the British.

“What we are returning today are not mere objects to you and to the Nigerian people. What we are returning is a part of your history and a part of who you are.

“I think as Germans and Europeans we should really pause for a moment and reflect on what this actually means. What it means not to have crucial part of your history with you, but you have it taken from you.

“Today, we are here to return the Benin Bronzes to where they belong, to the people of Nigeria.

“We are here to right a wrong because officials from my country once bought the Bronzes knowing that they had been robbed and stolen,’’ she said.

The minister continued: “We ignored Nigeria’s plea to return looted bronzes for a very long time. It was wrong to take them but it was also wrong to keep them.

“This is the story of European colonialism. It is a story in which our country plays a part, but we are correcting the wrongdoings today.’’.

Baerbock underscored the need to make the artefacts accessible to every person in society.

To that effect, she said they would be funding the construction of an art pavilion in Edo state which would be used to display the bronzes.

She said they have also agreed that some of the bronzes would go on travel expositions around the world.

The minister added that some of the bronzes would remain as loan in German museums so that they could tell the stories and history of their origin.

“What is crucial is that we know where they are from, we know they belong to Nigeria and you can always come and they can also always come back to their home,’’ she said.

Similarly, Roth, the German minister of state for culture said they had closed their eyes for too long refusing to recognise the injustice surrounding the bronzes on display in their museums and keeping them in storage for so many years.

She said by returning them, they have made a statement that everyone has the right to experience the cultural heritage where it originated in its homeland.

Present at the event were Nigeria Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Sunday Dare, Nigeria Ambassador to Germany Yusuf Tuggar, and Director-General of the National Commission for Museum, Prof. Abba Tijani, among others

Headline

‘You’re Guilty’ – Judge Roars, Jailed UK-based Nigerian Pastor, Wife 34 Years For Raping, Assaulting Members

Published

5 hours ago

May 14, 2024

Editor

A Nigerian pastor, Michael Oluronbi and his wife Juliana, have been sentenced to jail for 34 years in the UK after Oluronbi was found guilty of sexual offences against six women and a man.

He abused children and adults for over 20 years after convincing the victims to take part in “spiritual bathing to cleanse them of evil spirits.”

Olurnobi was jailed for 34 years for offences of multiple rapes of members of his congregation.

He was convicted of “fifteen counts of rape, seven counts of indecent assault and two counts of sexual assault and at least 88 separate occasions on which he raped his victims.”

Birmingham Crown Court heard that some of the victims became pregnant multiple times, but Olurnobi would take them to abortion clinics, as a cover-up for the abuse.

His wife was jailed for 11 years for three counts of aiding and abetting rape, as she assisted Olurnobi in arranging abortions for the victims.

Both defendants will be required to sign the sex offenders’ register for life.

Oluronbi was linked to a Christian church in Edgbaston, Birmingham, the Cherubim and Seraphim Church, whose roots were in Nigeria. He had set up his own splinter group at another address and from where he began the “spiritual bathing.” The jury heard how the offences took place in Birmingham and London.

Sentencing “arrogant” Oluronbi on Friday, Judge Buckingham said: “You claimed that God was instructing you to conduct holy baths. Its real purpose was to fulfil your insatiable sexual appetite. The children feared you and this enabled you to continue your grip. Your offending has had an extreme and severe impact on all of your complainants. Any attempt to suggest otherwise would be without foundation. You abused your position of trust – they trusted you like God.”

The judge continued: “You did this because you are an arrogant, selfish and vain man. In my judgment, your offending must be one of the worst cases of sexual abuse of multiple children to come before the courts.”

When confronted about his offences, Oluronbi said “The devil made me do it”.

Phil Bradley QC, prosecuting, told the jury:

“The Crown’s case is that Mr Oluronbi used what he called ‘spiritual work’ as a subterfuge for that sexual abuse. The main tactic he employed was to claim that God had instructed him to administer ‘holy baths’ to some of his congregation in order to ‘cleanse’ them and protect them from evil influences. That activity began when his victims were children. There can be no doubt that its real purpose was to serve his sexual gratification.”

He added that for some of the female victims the offending “progressed to repeated rapes, on many occasions leading to unwanted pregnancies and terminations”.

“You will learn that this man, who was revered and feared by his victims, kept a vice-like grip on many of them and continued to abuse them well into adulthood.”

The victims described him as “controlling” and “almost like a king”.

Oluronbi was arrested in May 2023, at Birmingham Airport while trying to leave the UK for Nigeria.

Headline

Lady Arrested For Allegedly Harassing, Cyberstalking Crown Prince Of Benin Kingdom [VIDEO]

Published

7 hours ago

May 13, 2024

Editor

Cynthia Morgan has been arrested for allegedly persistently harassing and cyberstalking His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince of the Benin Kingdom. Prince Ezelekhae Ewuare.

According to a lawsuit filed by his team of lawyers, the singer, also known as Madrina, has been desperately trying to reach the Prince and trailing him on his work days.

Frustrated at not meeting him, she allegedly began publishing lies and defamatory statements against him on Instagram from 2020 to date.

According to the court documents, the Crown Prince filed a suit against her, warning her to desist from defaming him, but she ignored all his warnings.

She is also alleged to have attempted to contact him through various phone lines, which he immediately blocked.

She allegedly succeeded in reaching him via phone call on May 3rd, 2024, and began making statements that seemed to come from a place of delusion.

Screenshots of chats allegedly sent by the singer to the Prince have also been released.

A video shared online shows Cynthia being led by men suspected to be police officers out of her home.

Recall that in November 2023, Cynthia publicly accused the Crown Prince of bewitching her and physically assaulting her to prevent her from marrying someone else.

The Crown Prince responded to these allegations on his Instagram story, announcing his intention to file a lawsuit against Cynthia.

At the time, the singer doubled down and shared images of her and the Prince from 2018.

She then promised to share her side of the story.

Watch the video below.

Headline

$2.5bn Fraud: EFCC To Collaborate With UK Prosecutors In Diezani’s Case

Published

16 hours ago

May 13, 2024

Editor

There were signs over the weekend that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission plans to join forces with the United Kingdom prosecutors as an interested party in the trial of former Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, in a UK court.

A team from the anti-graft commission is expected in London to initiate this process by filing relevant documents, the Nation reports.

According to a source privy to the information, the EFCC intends to share its findings and the Abuja high court’s forfeiture order concerning Diezani’s $2.5 million properties and vehicles with the UK court.

“This country may not be able to retrieve questionable assets from Diezani if the EFCC does not file an application as an interested party. We have received an advisory on this important bend to Diezani’s trial and we will be part of the case in the UK. A team will leave for London any moment from now to explore legal opportunities and file necessary papers as an interested party.

“The overall aim is for Nigeria to benefit from Diezani’s trial, especially the recovery of all assets linked to funds looted in this country. The EFCC has sufficient evidence against Diezani, including a court order on the former minister’s $2.5 million homes and cars.

“In another case, a former chairman of EFCC confirmed that the commission recovered $153 million and secured the final forfeiture of over 80 properties in Nigeria valued at about $ 80 million. The allegations against Diezani by the EFCC border on the alleged stealing of about $2.5 billion from Nigeria’s coffers as a minister.” the source said.

The source continued, “It is necessary for this nation to rise to the occasion because, in March 2023, the NCA also provided evidence to the US Department of Justice that enabled them to recover assets totalling $53.1 million linked to Mrs. Alison-Madueke’s alleged corruption.

“Like the P&ID case, the EFCC has sufficient evidence to pull through a case against Diezani. We want all stolen, diverted and questionable assets back in the custody of Nigeria for the good use of our citizens.I think the EFCC is collaborating with the NCA in the UK on this.

“It is also unclear if the UK court will ask Diezani to return to Nigeria to serve prison terms if convicted. This is why we also need to be an interested party in the case in the UK.”

Last year, the Head of the NCA’s international corruption unit, Andy Kelly, said the “charges are a milestone in what has been a thorough and complex international investigation”.

“Bribery is a pervasive form of corruption, which enables serious criminality and can have devastating consequences for developing countries.

“We will continue to work with partners here and overseas to tackle the threat.”

Diezani is currently facing trial at the Southwark Crown Court in the UK over an alleged £100,000 bribe.

The National Crime Agency alleged that Diezani could have received benefits worth at least £100,000, including cash, chauffeured cars, private jet flights, luxury family vacations, and multiple London properties.

On October 2, 2023, a Magistrate Court granted bail to the former Minister for £70,000, considering her a potential flight risk.

The trial proceedings for Diezani’s case are scheduled to commence in November 2025.

In October 2023, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, submitted a warrant of arrest and request to the Crown Prosecution Services of the United Kingdom for the urgent extradition of a former Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Allison-Madueke.