The Charity Commission will allow the University of Cambridge to repatriate its Benin Bronzes to Nigeria, despite fears about the future of the artefacts.

The university’s Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology pledged to return its 116 Bronzes, sparking concerns the artworks would fuel a row between rival Nigerian claimants, and end up in the hands of communities which had historically profited from slavery.

The commission was urged by campaigners to reject plans to repatriate the Benin Bronzes, but the regulator has now given Cambridge permission to fulfil its “moral obligation” by returning them to Nigeria.

A statement from the regulator, responsible for charitable organisations including UK universities, said: “We have granted the required consent allowing Cambridge University to transfer the title of 116 artefacts (Benin Bronzes) to the Nigerian National Commission for Museum and Monuments.

“The trustees (of Cambridge) made the decision to transfer the artefacts, concluding that they were under a moral obligation to take this step.”

Tribal leaders of the Benin ethnic group insist that the Bronzes should only be handed to their Oba (king), despite the Nigerian government also laying claim to the artworks, leading to concerns about who will ultimately care for them when they are repatriated by Cambridge.

Benin Bronzes: A brass commemorative head in the Udo style - University of Cambridge© Provided by The Telegraph

As well as fuelling an internal row in Nigeria, repatriation has also proven controversial for the descendants of African slaves, who have argued that the Kingdom of Benin created the Bronzes with wealth derived from the slave trade, and therefore its modern-day successors should not be rewarded for this by returning the artworks.

Deadria Farmer-Paellmann, a US lawyer who runs legal campaigns to secure reparations for the descendants of slaves, wrote to the Charity Commission urging it to reject Cambridge’s plans on these moral grounds, and is disappointed with the regulator’s decision. 

‘A step backward’

She said: “Cambridge recently took a bold step to atone for its slavery benefits by addressing the ‘legacies of enslavement’.

“Now they take a step backward by discriminating against descendants of enslaved people by ignoring our role in the making of the Benin Bronzes, and giving them away to slave trader heirs. This is tragic.”

While the trustees of Cambridge have cited a moral obligation, the commission has not made a judgment on the right and wrong of this pledge, and has only assessed whether the university’s plans accord with UK charity law.

The decision comes from Cambridge’s museum, which agreed with Ugandan authorities to return traditional charms and clothing from its collection.  By Craig Simpson, Telegraph