Oba Ovonramwen Nogbaisi (ruled 1888–1897) was the last Oba of the Old Benin kingdom before the British punitive expedition of 1897 led to his capture, exile, incarceration and eventual death in Calabar on January 1, 1914. 
The Benin Expedition of 1897 was a punitive one by a British force of 1,200 under Rear-Admiral Sir Harry Rawson in response to the defeat of a previous British-led pseudo-invasion force under Acting Consul-General James Philips (which had left all but two men dead).
On January 12, 1897, Rear-Admiral Sir Harry Rawson, commanding the squadron at the Cape of Good Hope, was appointed by the British Admiralty to lead an expedition to capture the Benin king and destroy Benin City.
The operation was named the Benin Punitive Expedition and on February 9, 1897, the invasion of the Benin kingdom began.
Rawson’s troops captured, burned and looted Benin City, bringing to an end the West African Kingdom of Benin.
Rawson’s troops captured, burned and looted Benin City, bringing to an end the West African Kingdom of Benin.
As a result, much of the country’s artefacts, including the Benin Bronzes, were seized, destroyed, looted, and dispersed.
Many of these artefacts lie in the British Museum and other museums in the United States and Europe. #HistoryVille
Many of these artefacts lie in the British Museum and other museums in the United States and Europe. #HistoryVille
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