How impossible to put the blame of the British army’s invasion of the Benin Kingdom on the behavior of the Benin king and his empire.
According to history and the account of events that led to the invasion by Benin’s, the British were from the beginning never show any interest in fair trade with the Benin empire, they were only interested in the annexation of the empire.
The long-existing trade agreement between the Benin Kingdom and the Portuguese government, including the bilateral relationship between both countries were rejected by the British government, their interest was centered only on palm oil and other natural resources, most especially in the Benin Artefacts.
The Benin Kingdom could have avoided that war if the British were not having the pre-plan tendency to invade the Benin Kingdom, kill the king, burnt down the whole city and loot the Artefacts. This premeditated attack on the people of Benin Kingdom and eventually burnt down of the whole city has given every reasonable mind the opportunity to exonerate Oba Ovonramwen and his Kingdom from the blame that led to the 1897 war.
During and after the invasion Benin was under siege, executions were carried out with impunity. The whole city was set ablaze, a deliberate house to house arson was carried out throughout Benin city, people running out of the burning houses, trying to escape fire were shut and killed while women were brutally raped. High ranking chiefs and other private citizens suspected of harboring Artefacts were arrested and their houses ransacked, any Artefacts found in their various houses were looted according to our fathers.
As the Benin Kingdom and the entire Edo citizens’ lives continue to advance towards normalcy, 124 years after the infamous invasion many unanswered questions continue to surface.
Why did the British army invade the Benin Kingdom?
Why do they burn down the whole Benin city?
Why do they loot the Benin Artefact?
Benin Artefacts Repatriation Campaign Organisation.
