A private tour of the brand-new Museum of West African Arts (Mowaa) in Benin City, southern Nigeria, was interrupted Sunday by "protesters," suspending the official opening scheduled for Tuesday until further notice, an AFP journalist observed.

The Mowaa (Museum of West African Arts), a new cultural institution combining exhibition spaces and archives, intended to host residencies for artists and craftspeople from West Africa, organized a visit on Sunday for donors, supporters and professionals in the sector.

Around twenty men, some armed with wooden bats, then burst into the museum courtyard, forcing guests to take refuge inside the building.

The intruders, who were threatening but whose demands were unclear, caused some minor damage in the museum courtyard, the journalist observed.

"Protesters entered and began vandalizing part of the reception pavilion, where we receive visitors, then they broke into the front part, where the exhibition area is located," Phillip Ihenacho, founder of Mowaa, told AFP.

After about two hours, the guests were extracted and taken in buses chartered by the museum to a nearby hotel.

This museum, whose construction began five years ago in the capital of Edo State, is causing intense political tensions between the former governor of the state, who approved the project, and his successor, allied with the "Oba", the traditional king of the city.

"I think they were representatives of the palace (of the Oba, editor's note) and I believe they were asking us to allow more time for consultations before proceeding with an official inauguration," added Mr. Ihenacho.

The planned opening to the public on Tuesday is suspended until further notice.