Court Orders Britain to Pay £420million to 21 Coal Miners Killed by Colonial Administration
- A landmark ruling in Enugu has held the British government accountable for the 1949 Iva Valley coal miners massacre
- Justice Anthony Onovo ordered £420 million in compensation and formal apologies to the families of the 21 victims
- The judgement was described as historic, reinforcing calls for justice and redress for colonial-era human rights abuses
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Justice Anthony Onovo of the Enugu High Court on Thursday ordered the British government to pay £20 million each to the families of the 21 coal miners killed in Enugu State in 1949.
The ruling addressed the Iva Valley Coal Mine massacre of 18 November 1949, when colonial authorities opened fire on protesting miners.
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The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the miners had staged a “go-slow” protest over poor working conditions, racial wage disparities, and unpaid back wages.
They occupied the mine to prevent management from locking them out. The protest ended in tragedy when a British superintendent shot and killed 21 miners and injured 51 others.
Victims of the Iva Valley massacre
The victims included Sunday Anyasodo, Ani Oha, Andrew J. Obiekwe Okonkwo, Augustine Chiwetalu, Onoh Ugwu, Ngwu Offor, Ndunguba Eze, Okafor Agu, Livinus Ukachunwa, Jonathan Agu Ozoani, Moses Ikegbu Okoloha, Chukwu Ugwu, Thomas Chukwu, Simon Nwachukwu, Agu Alo, Ogbonnia Ani Chima, Nnaji Nwachukwu, William Nwaku, James Onoh Ekeowa, Felix Nnaji, and Ani Nwaekwe.
Court ruling on British colonial liability
Delivering judgement, Justice Onovo described the massacre as an unlawful and extrajudicial violation of the right to life. He held the British colonial administration liable and ordered compensation, formal apologies, and diplomatic action.
According to him, “This defenseless 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 judge directed that £20 million per victim, totalling £420 million, be paid by the British government. He added that post-judgement interest of 10 per cent per annum would apply until full payment was made, while claims for pre-judgement interest and exemplary damages were refused.
Apology and diplomatic engagement
Justice Onovo ordered that written apologies be published in Nigeria’s Daily Sun, Daily Independent, and Punch, as well as in three major UK newspapers. Proof of publication must be filed in court within 60 days, while monetary awards must be satisfied within 90 days.
He further stated that the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Attorney-General had a constitutional duty under Sections 19(d) and 150(1) to pursue redress. Their prolonged inaction was described as a dereliction of duty. The Nigerian Government was directed to initiate diplomatic engagement with the British side within 60 days.
The judge dismissed objections based on sovereign immunity, affirming jurisdiction and stressing that grave historical injustices remained justiciable under Nigeria’s Constitution. “The argument by the representative of the federal government that Nigeria was still under colonial rule when the killing was committed is hereby struck out,” he held.
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Reaction from applicants’ counsel
Counsels to the applicants, Yemi Akinseye-George, SAN, and P.N Agazie, welcomed the ruling. They described it as historic and a reminder that governments worldwide must not tolerate abuses, torture, or killings without provocation.
Mr 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 lawyers noted that the judgement drew parallels with international precedents, including the United Kingdom’s Mau Mau settlement, underscoring the continuing obligation to provide redress for serious human rights abuses.
African nations move towards unified reparations claim
Legit.ng earlier reported that in a historic move signaling a coordinated legal and diplomatic offensive, African leaders are advancing plans to file a joint reparation claim against the United Kingdom for crimes committed during the colonial era.
The push gained significant momentum at a major conference in Algiers on Sunday, where policymakers convened to translate principle into action.
The meeting, focused on having colonial-era crimes “recognized, criminalized and addressed through reparations,” directly advances a resolution passed by the African Union (AU) earlier this year. That resolution calls for justice and reparations for victims of colonialism, building on a landmark proposal at the AU’s February summit to formally define colonization as a crime against humanity and develop a unified continental position.
Source: Legit.ng
