The Mexican government has returned an ancient bronze sculpture to Nigeria after it was seized by customs officials at the Mexico City International Airport

The sculpture is believed to date back to the 6th Century and comes from the south-western city of Ile- Ife.

Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) tweeted a photo of the sculpture:

Julián Ventura Valero, from the foreign affairs ministry, said at a ceremony to return the artifact that both Mexico and Nigeria were determined to recover their heritag . And he added:

“For Mexico, the recovery of illegally stolen cultural property is a priority,” he said.

“We oppose the illegal commercialisation of archaeological pieces, an important cause of the impoverishment of the cultural heritage of the nations of origin, since it undermines the integrity of cultures and, therefore, of humanity.”