Sweden has returned 39 Benin Bronzes and other artefacts to Nigeria, 129 years after they were looted from the Benin Kingdom.

The handover

Representatives of Sweden's National Museums of World Culture formally handed over the objects at a ceremony in Lagos on Thursday, 12 November 2026. They will be received by Nigeria's National Commission for Museums and Monuments. The collection includes cultural objects known as Emwin Arre. Six of the 39 artefacts will remain in Sweden under a 10-year loan arrangement.

Why it matters

The objects were among thousands taken by British forces who attacked and burned Benin City in 1897 before bringing the kingdom under British rule. Michael Barrett, curator for Africa at Sweden's National Museums of World Culture, described the return as an important step in addressing colonial-era looting of cultural property.

Background

Nigeria has been campaigning for decades for the return of the Benin Bronzes, which are held in museums and private collections around the world. The Netherlands returned 119 objects in 2025, and Germany handed over 20 Benin Bronzes in 2022. Many more remain abroad.

The University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) has confirmed that four of its students have died after an off-campus party in Nsukka, Enugu State.

What happened

Speaking to journalists on Thursday, 12 November 2026, Vice-Chancellor Professor Simon Ortuanya said 10 students were involved in the incident at the party on Wednesday, 11 November, which had been organised to celebrate a friend finishing his final-year examinations. He said the four who died allegedly consumed substances believed to be a mixture of alcohol and drugs. The other six are receiving treatment in different hospitals. Earlier reports had put the death toll as high as seven.

University responds

The Vice-Chancellor described the deaths as one too many and declared three days of mourning in honour of the students. He also corrected reports that all the students were from the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, saying they came from different departments. The exact substances involved have not been officially identified, and it is not clear whether the police have opened an investigation.

Police investigate

The Enugu State Police Command said on Thursday evening that it had opened an investigation into the deaths. It said the four victims, two men and two women, fell ill after allegedly drinking alcoholic beverages at a gathering at a hostel in Nsukka and were confirmed dead on arrival at hospital. Police said the drinks had been recovered from the scene and the bodies taken to a mortuary for autopsy.

Background

Drug and alcohol misuse among young people has become a growing public health concern in Nigeria.

Households in Lagos, Ogun and Oyo states are paying much more for cooking gas after a sharp rise in prices over the past month.

The new prices

According to reports on Thursday, 12 November 2026, retail prices of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) at several outlets rose from around ₦1,200 to ₦1,800 per kilogramme. In parts of Ogun State, including Magboro, Mowe and Ibafo, some residents said they were paying as much as ₦1,900 per kg. In Oyo State, prices reportedly range from about ₦1,450 per kg at direct outlets to between ₦1,500 and ₦1,650 at neighbourhood retailers.

Why prices rose

The increase follows a reported 31.8 per cent rise in depot prices, from ₦1,100 to ₦1,450 per kg, which has pushed up costs along the supply chain.

Impact on households

Some households say they are considering returning to charcoal because they can no longer afford gas.

Background

The latest increase comes even as petrol prices have eased slightly, with Dangote Refinery reportedly cutting its petrol price this week.

A court in Abuja has ordered that investigative journalist Daniel Ojukwu be held in prison pending a hearing on his bail application.

The charges

Ojukwu, who works for the Foundation for Investigative Journalism, was arraigned on a 12-count charge of allegedly breaching Nigeria's Cybercrimes Act, and the court ordered his remand on Tuesday, 10 November 2026. The charges relate to reports he published about Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, who was senior special assistant on the Sustainable Development Goals under former President Muhammadu Buhari and now holds the same role under President Bola Tinubu. The charges have not been tested at trial.

Press freedom concerns

The decision drew widespread criticism from media freedom advocates, who have long argued that the cybercrimes law is used to silence journalists. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, at least 29 journalists have been prosecuted under the law since it was enacted in 2015. Nigeria is ranked 112th out of 180 countries in the 2026 World Press Freedom Index compiled by Reporters Without Borders.

Background

Ojukwu was previously detained by police for several days in 2024 over a report on the same official, a case that also drew national and international criticism.