Protesters Storm Nigerian Museum Amid Benin Bronzes Ownership Dispute

A preview event at the new Museum of West African Art (Mowaa) in Benin City descended into chaos after protesters disrupted proceedings over the ongoing dispute surrounding the ownership of the historic Benin Bronzes looted by British forces in 1897.

Videos circulating on social media showed demonstrators chanting “Oba ghato kpere ise” — meaning “Long live the King” in the Bini language — as local and foreign guests were hurriedly evacuated by security. Witnesses reported minor damage to the museum’s reception and exhibition areas.

Mowaa’s director, Phillip Ihenacho, confirmed that protesters “began vandalising part of the reception pavilion before storming the exhibition area,” according to Agence France-Presse. The museum later issued a statement expressing gratitude to guests for their patience and apologising for the disruption.

The state-of-the-art facility, co-funded by the French and German governments alongside private donors, was designed to serve as a hub for West African cultural exchange, housing conservation labs, galleries, and studios. It was initially intended to display several of the famed Benin Bronzes — thousands of sacred artworks looted from the Benin Kingdom by British colonial troops — but a political feud between Edo State’s past and present administrations has delayed their exhibition.

Over 150 original artefacts have been returned to Nigeria in recent years, but none are currently on display at Mowaa. The federal government, aligning with Oba Ewuare II, ruler of the Benin Kingdom, insists that the artefacts should remain in the royal palace where they were originally taken from.

While the protesters’ exact demands remain unclear, their chants appeared to show allegiance to the Oba and support for his claim over the artefacts.

In response, Mowaa emphasised its independence, stating it is “a nonprofit institution with no financial or political ties to any administration.” The museum also urged the public to suspend visits until further notice.

Nigeria’s Minister of Art, Culture, and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, condemned the incident, warning that it “endangers a treasured cultural asset and undermines the peaceful environment required for cultural exchange.”

The protest has sparked national debate, with many Nigerians calling for calm and a resolution to the political and cultural tensions clouding the future of the Benin Bronzes.

“This is not good optics for Edo State or Nigeria,” Lagos-based Zero Prive Gallery said in a statement. “We stand in support of Mowaa as an independent body. Political differences should be resolved in the interest of the people and the nation’s heritage.”