OGUN State Governor Chief Olusegun Osoba yesterday supported the demand of N165 million insurance cover by the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Oyebade Lipede for the return of the Bible given to one of the monarch's predecessors in 1845, as a token of the friendship between Egbaland and Britain. Speaking to journalists at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, on his way to Abuja, Osoba said: "It is an historical antiquity. I am in total support of Alake's Position. You see, the British have exploited us so much, they stole our antiquity and took it to their museum, their museums are full of our beautiful things that our forefathers, great fathers did in the past, geniuses and we do not want to lose more. The Bible given to us in the 18th century, which shows we have had contact with them, and you want to take away, we no go gree."

He explained that Nigerians, especially the Egbas, should not see Alake's
demand for an insurance cover to mean that he wants to dispose it at a meagre sum of N165m,. According to him: "Alake knows what he is talking about. It is insurance for taking it to exhibition and the Bible will return to Egba. He didn't say he wants to sell the Bible, don't get him wrong, it is for insurance guarantee. If you want to take the Bible for exhibition, it must be returned whole as it is. It is historical antiquity."

The Alake had disclosed last weekend in Ake, Ogun State that the British Monarchy had wanted to take the original Bible by sending a replacement in 1986 in an attempt to retrieve the original. He added that the two copies are in his custody as he was yet to get any guaranty for the insurance cover.