“They are ours, not yours.” With those five words, Victor Asemota — tech investor and son of Benin — answered The Atlantic’s David Frum, who had claimed Nigeria wasn’t fit to house the returned Benin Bronzes. Frum suggested they had “disappeared.” Asemota replied with clarity. Finders Not Keepers is the line between possession and justice, and Benin is drawing it.
Key Points
- Frum alleged Nigeria had lost track of returned bronzes
- Asemota called the claim disrespectful and legally dangerous
- Frum suggested Benin had “no serious plan” for display
- New museums (EMOWAA/MOWAA) are under phased construction
- Nigerians reject the idea that cultural artefacts require foreign permission
Sources
Reuters, The Atlantic, X
