The Mexican government has returned an “ancient” bronze sculpture to Nigeria after it was seized by customs officials in the capital’s airport.
The sculpture is believed to date back to the 6th Century from the south-western city of Ife, reports AFP news agency.
An official from Mexico’s foreign ministry is quoted saying that the sculpture had been illegally exported.
Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) tweeted a photo of the sculpture:
#PrensaINAH 🗞️
Restituye México pieza del pueblo yoruba a la República Federal de Nigeria; esta acción se suma al llamado mundial de retornar el legado patrimonial a su lugar de origen.
Más información 👉 https://t.co/RSp1ywYr2G pic.twitter.com/NaPkVAiwQy
— INAHmx (@INAHmx) February 26, 2020
Diego Prieto, the head of INAH, is quoted saying that experts had “determined that it was a piece of Yoruba origin”.
Source: myjoyonline.com
