@ancientbenin: 129 Years Today- It will be remembered that on 18th February 1897, Benin City fell to the advancing British forces during the Punitive Expedition. When the assault began, the silence of the sacred city was broken by thunder not from the heavens, but from artillery. The houses that encircled the Oba’s palace, the living heart of the kingdom, were deliberately blown apart, not merely in conquest, but in strategy, to carve defensive lines against any counter attack. Then, two days later, came the great conflagration. Flames rose and spread through the ancient city, consuming homes, courtyards, shrines, and histories etched in wood and earth. What centuries had built, fire reduced to embers. The smoke that lifted above Benin was not merely of burning walls, but of a kingdom violently interrupted. “On the 18th February the column started for its final dash on Benin City, now only eight miles off. As soon as the advance- guard started they were met with a heavy fire from the back, and this continued more or less the whole day. About 10.30 a.m., Chief PettyOfficer Ansell of the Navy was sh@t through the h€ad from a distance about six yards off, and unlive at once. About 1. p.m. the column came across a stockade which commanded a narrow causeway with a deep ravine on each side and had a few guns in it. This stockade was immediately taken and blown up with gǔn-cotton. About three hundred yards farther on a small village was reached, and as Benin City was reported as being near, some shells from the seven-pounders and rockets were fired in the direction the city was supposed to be. So good was the direction that next day some of the rocket-heads and the effects of the explosion of the shells were found in the city close to the King's Compound. Some distance after this the bush path opened up into a broad road leading to the city, which was only about a thousand yards away now. Here the enemy made a deter- mined stand, and here for the first time were any of them seen-a party of them actually trying to charge the head of the column as it arrived at the open broad road. On arriving at the broad road the advance-guard, con- sisting of the Protectorate Force, bluejackets from the St George, and the marine battalion, formed into square. As the square advanced it was met with a tremendously hot fire from both sides, and it was during this time that poor Captain Byrne, R. M.L.I. , who only reached England to die from the effect of his wounds, was hit badly. Here also Dr. Fyfe, R.N., who had been attending to Captain Byrne, was killed, also several marines. The enemy took every advantage of their cover from the bush, and some of them actually climbed trees to enable them to get a better chance of firing at the column. However, some of the officers of the Force made capital" rook- shooting," and unalive several of the enemy in the trees. The enemy also had several old cannon firing from the direction of what was afterwards found to be the King's house. Two hundred yards from the city the column broke into a cheer and charged; the enemy fled, and Benin City was taken about two o'clock p.m. The casualties this day had been very heavy. fire which broke out on the 21st February and burned most of the town. The whole Force was engaged for the remainder of the 19th, 20th, and 21st February, in clearing the town as much as possible, making a defensible camp for the Protectorate Force, and destroying chiefs' houses.”- Captain Alan Boispagon, Benin Massacre, 1897 (one of the two survivors) References: Captain Alan Boispagon, Benin Massacre, 1897 (one of the two survivors). Ling Roth, Great Benin, 1903. Jacob U. Egharevba, Short History of Benin, 1953 #AncientBenin #IduDescendants #WeWillNeverForget

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Wednesday 18 February 2026 11:49:18 GMT