•Omo n'Oba Ovonramwen was skeptical with the "treaty" the British gave him but still signed it

•The king refrained from endorsing Gallwey's treaty when he found out it was a ploy to make Benin a British colony

•He made an edict prohibiting all British traders and officials from entering the territory, and Britain took this as a threat

•Oba set up his standing army for a pillow of protection and later stopped all exports including Palm Oil --> Angered the British

•James Phillips set up a trap without approval from London. He told the king that he was coming to discuss trade and peace and demanding admission to the territory

•Some Itsekeri traders sent a message to the king saying that "white man is bringing war", ruining Phillip's element of surprise

•Only two British officers survived --> became known as the "Benin Preemptive Strike"

•In retaliation, British sent a large military force known as the "Punitive Expedition" to invade and conquer Benin City

•Took many of Oba's coral regalia and put Benin's king in exile claiming he was an "obstruction"