An Enugu State High Court has ordered the British Government to pay £20 million each to the families of 21 coal miners killed in 1949 during the Iva Valley Coal Mine massacre in Enugu State.
Justice Anthony Onovo, delivering judgment on Thursday, held that the k+lling of the miners by British colonial authorities constituted an unlawful and extrajudicial violation of the right to life.
The miners were protesting harsh working conditions, wage discrimination, and unpaid salaries when they were sh+t. Twenty-one miners were killed and 51 others injured during the incident on November 18, 1949.
The suit (No: E/909/2024) was filed by human rights activist Mazi Greg Onoh, seeking compensation and a formal apology from the British Government. The court dismissed objections based on sovereign immunity, ruling that historical injustices remain justiciable under Nigeria’s Constitution.
Justice Onovo ordered the British Government to pay a total of £420 million, with 10 per cent post-judgment interest per annum, and to issue written apologies to the victims’ families to be published in Nigerian and UK newspapers within 60 days.
The court also directed the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Attorney-General of the Federation to initiate diplomatic engagement with the British Government to enforce the judgment.
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