Nigerian court orders UK to pay £420m reparations | World | News
A Nigerian court has reportedly ordered the UK to pay £420 million to the families of 21 coal miners killed by colonial security forces on November 18, 1949. The Enugu High Court ruled on Thursday that each family should receive £20 million over the killing of miners, which took place at the Iva Valley coal mine in Enugu state, southeastern Nigeria, when miners striking for better working conditions and pay were shot by colonial police. 51 other miners were seriously injured in what Nigeria’s state-run News Agency (NAN) has described as one of the most notorious acts of repression under British colonial rule in the country.
Justice Anthony Onovo of the Enugu High Court, who delivered the ruling, described the attack as an unlawful violation of the miners’ right to life and said Britain must issue a formal apology. Mr Onovo told the Enugu High Court: “These defenceless coal miners were asking for improved work conditions, they were not embarking on any violent action against the authorities, but yet were shot and killed.”
The UK government said it had not been formally notified of the judgement and could therefore not comment, the BBC reported. A spokesperson told the BBC that the UK had not been represented in the proceedings.
The workers were protesting against working conditions, racial disparities in wages and unpaid back wages, NAN reported. After their demands were rejected, the unarmed miners staged a “go-slow” and occupied the mine to prevent management from locking them out.
Campaigners and human rights groups have pursued compensation for decades and Mr Onovo said a £20 million payment to each affected family would constitute an “effective remedy and compensation for the violations of the right to life.”
He added that the Nigerian government and Attorney-General had a constitutional responsibility to seek redress for the victims, and their extended inaction amounted to a failure to fulfill that duty.
Lawyer on the case, Yemi Akinseye-George said: “This ruling represents a significant milestone in the pursuit of historical accountability and justice for colonial-era violations, affirming that the right to life transcends time, borders, and changes in sovereignty.”
The lawsuit was brought by human rights activist Mazi Greg Onoh, with both the British and Nigerian governments named as respondents.
At the time, Enugu served as the administrative capital of Nigeria’s Eastern Region under British rule. Historians say the massacre intensified anti-colonial sentiment and became a pivotal moment in Nigeria’s push for independence. The country ultimately gained independence from Britain in 1960, 11 years after the shooting.
