In November 1896, James Robert Phillips, agent commissioner and delegate for the Niger Coast Protectorate, chosen to visit and meet with Ovonramwen in Benin City in respects to the exchange assentation that the Oba had made with the British but was not keeping. He formally inquired his bosses in London for consent to visit Benin City. In late December 1896, without holding up for a answer or endorsement, Phillips set out on an endeavor.
A British appointment withdrawn from the Oil Waterways Protectorate in January 1897 with the expressed point of arranging with the Oba of Benin. Seeing this to be an endeavor to remove the Oba, the Oba’s officers singularly requested an assault on the designation because it was drawing closer Benin City (which included eight accidental British agents and hundreds of African watchmen and workers). Phillip’s endeavor was trapped and all but two were slaughtered.
In this way, a correctional endeavor against the Kingdom of Benin in 1897 driven by Sir Harry Rawson brought about within the bulldozing of Benin City, the plundering of the Benin Bronzes, and the pulverization of the city’s fortresses. In spite of the fact that the British had orders to execute the Ọba, Ovonramwen gotten away, but returned to the city to formally yield on 5 Admirable 1897.
When Ovọnramwẹn returned to the city, after six months went through in avoiding capture within the timberland, he was luxuriously dressed and loaded with coral globules and went with by an escort of seven hundred to eight hundred people.He endeavored to elude banish by advertising Delegate Common Ralph Field 200 puncheons (barrels) of oil worth £1500 at that time and to reveal where his 500 ivory tusks were buried (of a esteem of more than £2M at that time). Be that as it may, this offer was expelled as Field had as of now found them.
The undertaking was depicted as a British attack force headed by Phillips set out to oust the Ọba by Sven Lindqvist in his book Kill All the Brutes. Agreeing to Lindqvist, the drive had weapons covered up with things, with troops camouflaged as bearers. Lindqvist states that Phillips’ arrange was to pick up get to to Ovonramwen’s royal residence by announcing that he expecting to arrange.
Lindqvist states that Ovonramwen’s couriers issued a few notices not to abuse Benin regional sway, claiming he was unable to see Phillips due to ceremonial obligations which in spite of being cautioned on a few advance events on the way, Phillips sent his adhere to the Ọba, a think offended outlined to incite the struggle that would give an excuse for British addition.
Ovonramwen was ousted to Calabar with two of his spouses, Ruler Egbe and Ruler Aighobahi. He was gotten and facilitated in Calabar in a little town called “Essien Town” by Etinyin Essien Etim Offiong, the forebear of Essien Town.
He passed on in Calabar around the turn of the modern year in 1914. Ovọnramwẹn was inevitably buried within the grounds of the regal royal residence in Benin City.He was succeeded by his to begin with child and true-blue beneficiary, Sovereign Aguobasimwin, who ruled as Eweka II.
