<p><a href="https://www.okayafrica.com/black-activists-remove-congolese-stat-from-dutch-museum/" target="_blank"><strong><em>Read: Black Activists Attempt to Remove Congolese Statue from Dutch Museum</em></strong></a></p><p>According to<strong><em> Al Jazeera</em></strong>, the artefact <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/11/27/nigeria-gets-back-stolen-artefact-from-the-netherlands" target="_blank">was stolen from Nigeria's South Western city of Ile-Ife</a> then smuggled into Ghana where the unnamed suspect then boarded a plane to the Netherlands.<strong><em> Africa CGTN</em></strong> reports that the Ife Terracotta was <a href="https://africa.cgtn.com/2020/11/27/600-year-old-stolen-artifact-returned-to-nigeria/" target="_blank">seized at customs at a Dutch airport</a> where officials suspected that "the object might be illicitly imported" and alerted the antiquity protection office. </p><p><div class="preroll-video"></div><ora-player></ora-player></p><p>Following this news, Nigeria had to prove and appeal to the Dutch government that the artefact in fact belonged to the West African country. The long process ended when the Netherlands handed over the artefact to the Hague on November 2nd of this year. Nigeria received the artefact this past Thursday in a public ceremony.</p><p>Mohammed reportedly said that the hand-over was made public so that <a href="https://guardian.ng/news/netherlands-returns-smuggled-600-year-old-ife-terracotta-to-nigeria/" target="_blank">other countries </a><a href="https://guardian.ng/news/netherlands-returns-smuggled-600-year-old-ife-terracotta-to-nigeria/" target="_blank">would follow in the same manner and return previously stolen artefacts</a> to African countries. Mohammed also <a href="https://africa.cgtn.com/2020/11/27/600-year-old-stolen-artifact-returned-to-nigeria/" target="_blank">expressed satisfaction and relief</a> from the process saying, "It gives me profound joy to receive this very important antiquity, an Ife Terracotta…I am even more delighted that our efforts at pursuing the return of Nigerian antiquities, which we launched last November, have started yielding fruits."</p><p><div class="dfp_atf-slot" data-not-loaded="true"></div><script type="text/javascript">
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</script></p><p>The return of the Ife Terracotta reportedly coincides with the <a href="http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/prizes-medals/commemorative-medals/anniversaries-historical-events-series/50th-anniversary-of-unescofive-continents-1996/" target="_blank">UNESCO's 50-year anniversary</a>. Hundreds of Nigerian artefacts stolen during the pre-colonial and colonial period <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/11/27/nigeria-gets-back-stolen-artefact-from-the-netherlands" target="_blank">continue to be displayed in several European countries</a>. Senegal is one country that is particularly militant about the return of stolen artefacts and have <a href="https://africa.cgtn.com/2020/11/27/600-year-old-stolen-artifact-returned-to-nigeria/" target="_blank">created hugely successful Museum of Black Civilisations</a> for repatriated artefacts. </p><p>The Ife Terracotta has been placed at Nigeria's Conservation Laboratory where it will be cleaned and treated before being put on public display.</p>
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