A Scottish university will on Thursday hand over to a Nigerian delegation a Benin Bronze that was among thousands looted by British troops in 1897, the third European institution in two days to return cultural artefacts to their African homelands.

The sculpture represents the head of an Oba, or king, of the once mighty Kingdom of Benin, located in what is now Nigeria. The bronzes stolen from its royal court are among Africa's most significant heritage objects and are mostly in Europe.

The University of Aberdeen acquired the bronze head at an auction in...