Returning an Ancient Nigerian Sculpture
On Tuesday, February 25, Mexican authorities returned a sculpture dating back to the 6th century, from the southwestern Yoruba city of Ile-Ife to Nigeria. The sculpture depicts a man wearing woven pants and a hat, seated with his legs crossed and holding an instrument. It was seized by customs agents at Mexico City airport as the buyer attempted to bring it into the South-American country.
Diego Prieto, head of the agency, stated that specialists from the National Institute of Anthropology and History determined the piece to be of Yoruba origin, emphasizing its beauty as a bronze piece and its Nigerian heritage, thus warranting its return to its homeland.
The Mexican foreign ministry further confirmed that the sculpture had been illegally exported. Nigerian Ambassador, Aminu Iyawa, ...