Edo State Government has demanded the return of artifacts stolen from the state by foreign bodies, saying the monuments were worth $13bn.
It made the demand in Benin on Saturday during the closing ceremony of the National Arts Festival.
According to the state Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, getting the artifacts back is a matter of justice.
Meanwhile, Rivers State emerged the overall winner of the 32nd National Festival of Arts and Culture, NAFEST 2019 held in Benin the Edo state capital.
Ogun State took the second position while Edo and Bayelsa States were joint third-place winners just as Delta State took the fourth place.
Oyo State, which returned to the festival after a 17-year break, emerged fifth overall winner, a feat described as encouraging by the General Manager of the State Council for Arts and Culture, Mrs. Olayinka Adedeji.
Governor Godwin Obaseki while declaring the event closed thanked the participating states for showing the best of their cultural and artistic wealth.
