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The King of Benin was not as Gullible or trusting
as the kings of Lagos and Calabar and he refused to sign any treaty of "protection"
with Britain since he could see no need for a protection from a foreign power
who had been dealing with them for centuries as equals, and in any event , Benin
was a great power when Britain was a roman colony. The King was somber in stance
and dignity. He stood his ground. Of course, Britain had a hidden agenda. At that
time the British African policy was being master- minded by the British Naval
and Military Intelligence and the foreign Office with the Colonial Office playing
little role.
By June 5,1885,Britain named her "sphere of
Influence" (note
the phase) from Lagos to River Rio Del Ray near Cameroun as "Oil Rivers protectorate
"On May 13,1893,Britain proclaimed "Niger coast protectorate" as the new name
for the Oil rivers Protectorate" With its own postage stamps which I have
seen. The
Kingdom of Benin remained resolute, proud and independent. But Britain desperately
wanted a protectorate of southern Nigeria. That was the hidden Agenda.
Oba Ovonramwen of Benin in 1896 declined to to
receive a British delegation for discussions on the ground that the Kingdom
was in the midst of a great National Festival. Nevertheless, the British came
uninvited. In the light of the then prevailing circumstances at the time, the
unexpected arrival of the British was treated as a hostile act equivalent to
a war situation. The British was attacked and defeated. Britain was indignant
and felt that she now has an excuse to bring on board the recalcitrant Kingdom
Benin.
The British military expedition included the father
of James Callaghan, the former Labor Prime Minister. The kingdom resisted the
attack bravely. The British called the Punitive Expedition. many people were
killed, houses burnt, the palace looted, Great works of Art taken away. The king
went to Calabar. The British took enough works of art to pay for the costs of
the expedition. The fiercest and proudest Kingdom was sadly invaded in February
17, 1897.
On December 27, 1899, Britain at last was able to
proclaim and promulgate the "protectorate of southern Nigeria" to take effect
from January 1,1900 .
culled from 100 years after the invasion
of Benin by Richard Akinjide,a former attorney General and Federal minister
of justice.He is senior advocate of Nigeria .
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The Political & Spiritual Purpose of the
Holy Land
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