Justice A.O. Onovo of the Enugu State High Court has ordered the British Government to pay £20 million each to the families of 21 coal miners killed by British colonial authorities at the Iva Valley coal mines in Enugu in 1949.
The ruling, delivered on Thursday, brings the total compensation to £420 million, with an additional 10 percent post-judgment interest per annum until full payment is made.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the incident occurred on November 18, 1949, when Enugu served as the administrative capital of the Eastern Region under British colonial rule. The miners were protesting poor working conditions, racial wage disparities, and unpaid arrears. After their demands were ignored, they embarked on a “go-slow” protest and occupied the mine to prevent a lockout by management.
The protest turned deadly when the British superintendent of police opened fire on the workers, killing 21 miners and injuring 51 others.
Those killed were Sunday Anyasodo, Ani Oha, Andrew J. Obiekwe Okonkwo, Augustine Chiwefalu, Onoh Ugwu, Ngwu Offor, Ndunguba Eze, Okafor Agu, Livinus Ukachunwa, Jonathan Agu Ozani, 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 Nwaekwo.
The suit, marked E/909/2024, was filed by human rights activist Mazi Greg N. Onoh, seeking acknowledgment of liability, a formal apology, and comprehensive compensation for the families of the victims.
The respondents included the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Affairs; the British Government; the Federal Government of Nigeria; the Attorney-General of the Federation; and the Head of the Commonwealth, Government of the United Kingdom. No counsel appeared for the British respondents.
In his judgment, Justice Onovo described the killings as an unlawful and extrajudicial violation of the right to life, holding the British colonial administration fully liable.
“These defenseless coal miners were only asking for improved working conditions. They were not engaged in any violent action against the authorities, yet they were shot and killed,” the judge said.
He ordered the British Government to issue unreserved written apologies to the families through their counsel, with the apologies to be published in the Daily Sun, Daily Independent, and The Punch newspapers in Nigeria, as well as three major national newspapers in the United Kingdom. Proof of publication must be filed in court within 60 days, while the monetary compensation is to be paid within 90 days of the judgment.
Justice Onovo also held that the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Attorney-General of the Federation had a constitutional duty under Sections 19(d) and 150(1) to pursue redress for the victims, describing their prolonged inaction as a dereliction of duty. He ordered the Nigerian government to commence diplomatic engagement with the British authorities within 60 days to seek justice and reparations.
The court dismissed objections based on sovereign immunity and affirmed its jurisdiction, stressing that grave historical injustices remain justiciable under the Nigerian Constitution. The judge also rejected arguments that Nigeria’s colonial status at the time barred legal redress.
Reacting to the judgment, counsel to the applicant, Prof. Yemi Akinseye-George, SAN, alongside P.N. Agazie, described the ruling as historic, noting that it reinforces global accountability for human rights violations.
According to Akinseye-George, the judgment aligns with international precedents such as the United Kingdom’s Mau Mau settlement and affirms that the right to life transcends time, borders, and changes in sovereignty.
