The Enugu State High Court has ordered the British government to pay a total of £420 million compensation to families of the Iva Valley coal miners killed in 1949, ruling that the colonial authorities were fully responsible for the unlawful deaths of 21 unarmed Nigerian workers.
In a historic judgment delivered on Thursday, Justice Anthony Onovo ruled that the killing of 21 coal miners at the Iva Valley coal mine on November 18, 1949, was unjustified and amounted to a grave violation of human rights.
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The judge held the British government accountable for the actions of its colonial officers and ordered that £20 million be paid to each affected family as reparations. The court also directed the British authorities to issue a formal public apology, to be published in national newspapers in both Nigeria and the United Kingdom.
The case was filed by Greg Onoh, who approached the court on behalf of the victims’ descendants, seeking justice for what he described as a long-ignored colonial atrocity.
Those listed as respondents included the UK Foreign Office, the British government, the Federal Government of Nigeria, the Attorney-General of the Federation, the Head of the Commonwealth, and other UK officials. None of the British parties appeared in court or sent legal representation.
Justice Onovo, while delivering the ruling, stressed that the miners posed no threat to public order and were only demanding better treatment from their employers.
“These defenceless coal miners were simply asking for improved working conditions and unpaid wages. They were not violent, yet they were shot and killed,” the judge stated.
The court ordered the first, second, fifth and sixth respondents to jointly pay the compensation sum, with 10 percent post-judgment interest accruing annually until full payment is made. However, claims for pre-judgment interest and exemplary damages were dismissed.
In addition, Justice Onovo instructed the Nigerian government to begin diplomatic talks with the British governmentwithin 60 days, aimed at enforcing the judgment and securing justice for the families of the slain miners.