The Netherlands plans to return 119 looted Benin bronzes to Nigeria later this month.

The Dutch embassy in Nigeria told TheCable on Thursday that the artefacts are expected to arrive during the week of June 16.

According to an official, the formal handover event will be held on June 21 at the National Museum in Lagos.

After the ceremony, the bronzes will be transported to the National Museum located in Benin City, the capital of Edo state.

This group of artefacts is believed to represent the largest single return of Benin bronzes to Nigeria.

The bronzes were originally taken during the British invasion of Benin City in 1897.

Back in February, the Dutch embassy in Nigeria stated that the artefacts should not have ended up in the Netherlands.

Bengt van Loosdrech, who is the ambassador-designate, mentioned that Nigeria had been requesting the return of the bronzes for more than five decades.

At that time, the embassy noted that the items were due to arrive in Nigeria later in the year but did not provide a specific date.

Sapphire Egemasi, a Nigerian technology enthusiast, may be facing a prison term exceeding 20 years in the United States after being taken into custody by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

She was detained due to her alleged involvement in a widespread fraud operation that targeted several government agencies in the US.

Egemasi, a programmer with a Devpost profile, was apprehended around April 10, 2025, in the Bronx, New York, along with other individuals including Samuel Kwadwo Osei, who is believed to have been the ring leader.

Their arrests are linked to a federal grand jury indictment issued in 2024, which accused them of various internet fraud and money laundering offenses allegedly committed between September 2021 and February 2023.

According to investigators, Egemasi and her Ghanaian associates plotted to defraud the city of Kentucky of several million dollars.

Investigators say her part in the scheme involved creating fake websites that mimicked US government domains in order to capture login information and redirect stolen funds.

Reports indicate that before she was arrested, Egemasi lived in Cambridge, United Kingdom. Authorities suspect she also resided in Ghana at one point, where she likely connected with the other members of the group.

She is believed to have led the group’s tech operations, managing the development of fraudulent websites and coordinating wire transfers to accounts under the syndicate’s control.

Records from text messages show that in August 2022, the group diverted $965,000 stolen from Kentucky into a PNC Bank account.

In another transaction during the same period, $330,000 was moved into a Bank of America account.

To explain her financial resources, Egemasi is said to have claimed past work experience, mostly internships, at several large multinational firms including British Petroleum, H&M, and Zara.

Known widely online as ‘tech queen’, Egemasi cultivated a refined online image, especially on LinkedIn, where she promoted her professional abilities and “flaunted a luxurious lifestyle”.

Her social media posts often displayed images of extravagant trips to places like Greece and Portugal, which prosecutors allege were funded through illegal means.

Egemasi and her co-defendants are currently being held in federal detention and are awaiting trial in Lexington, Kentucky.

If found guilty, they each face a maximum of 20 years in prison, steep financial fines, and deportation to their countries of origin once their sentences are completed.

US President Donald Trump has issued an executive order that enforces a complete travel restriction on citizens from 12 countries.

In addition, nationals from seven more countries will face limited travel restrictions to the United States.

The affected 12 countries are Afghanistan, Chad, Congo, Yemen, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Sudan, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan, Libya and Equatorial Guinea.

Stricter limitations will also apply to individuals from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.

The executive order was finalized on Wednesday night.

Trump justified the decision by pointing to national security concerns and referenced an incident that occurred in Colorado on Sunday.

The order further indicates that the secretary of state holds the authority to provide exceptions on a “case-by-case” basis.

Trump said, “I must act to protect the national security and national interest of the United States and its people.”

He added, “We will not let what happened in Europe happen to America.”

He explained, “Very simply, we cannot have open migration from any country where we cannot safely and reliably vet and screen those who seek to enter the United States.”

He stated, “We will not allow people to enter our country who wish to do us harm.”

Several of the countries listed are currently experiencing armed conflicts.

Others made the list because, according to Trump, their governments fail to provide access to criminal background information.

The executive order also cites challenges faced by US authorities in repatriating citizens of these countries as another reason for their inclusion.

Scheduled to take effect on June 9, the new travel restrictions resemble a similar directive issued by Trump in 2017 during his first term, which barred individuals from seven Muslim-majority nations from entering the United States.

Trump also signed another executive order that halts the entry of foreign nationals who intend to study or join programs at Harvard.

This declaration temporarily prevents non-immigrants aiming to attend the Ivy League institution from entering the US.

The Trump administration has consistently criticized Harvard, accusing the university of “radicalism,” “antisemitism” and a “persistence with” diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programmes.