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.

Six petroleum depot operators have lowered the prices of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, as rivalry intensifies within Nigeria’s downstream petroleum market.

The depots that implemented the price cuts on Wednesday include Emadeb, First Royal, MENJ, Aiteo, Pinnacle, and Hyde.

Emadeb brought its depot price down to N827 per litre from N903 per litre, while First Royal adjusted its price to N826 per litre from N828 per litre.

Similarly, MENJ, Aiteo, Pinnacle, and Hyde revised their prices to N826 per litre from N827; N825 per litre from N826; N850 from N856 per litre; and N868 from N869 per litre, respectively.

Petroleumprice.ng reports that petrol depot prices are projected to keep decreasing in the near future, as crude oil prices, which are a key input, stay relatively low at $65 per barrel globally.

An expert in the industry, who chose not to be named, mentioned that stakeholders are anticipating another reduction in the gantry price at Dangote Petroleum Refinery.

He said: With the downward review of depot prices, currently standing at par with the Dangote Refinery N825 per litre gantry price, there are indications that the refinery would soon reduce its price further.

Meanwhile, the National President of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN), Dr. Billy Gillis-Harry, explained that: The depot owners imported commercial quantities of petrol from the global market. Without the downward price adjustment, it would be difficult for them to sell in the domestic market. It is their response to the competition in the domestic market.

He added: We expect further reduction as competition continues. But too much competition could become harmful to the sector. We need healthy competition to impact on consumers and the sector.