Court directs British Government to pay £420m compensation to families of 21 Enugu coal miners killed in colonial-era massacre

Justice Anthony Onovo of the Enugu State High Court has ordered the British Government to pay £420 million in compensation to the families of 21 coal miners who were killed by British colonial authorities in Enugu in 1949.
Delivering judgment on Thursday, the court held that each affected family is entitled to £20 million for the unlawful killing of their relatives during the Iva Valley Coal Mine massacre.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the incident took place on November 18, 1949, at the Iva Valley Coal Mine in Enugu, then the administrative headquarters of the Eastern Region under British colonial administration.
The miners had protested against poor working conditions, racial wage disparities, and unpaid salary arrears. After their grievances were ignored, they adopted a go-slow approach and occupied the mine to prevent its closure by management.
During the protest, a British superintendent allegedly ordered security personnel to open fire on the miners. The shooting resulted in the death of 21 workers, while 51 others sustained injuries.
The deceased miners were identified as 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.
The suit, marked E/909/2024, was filed by human rights activist Mazi Greg Onoh. He sought a declaration holding the British Government liable for the killings, alongside a formal apology and adequate compensation for the families of the victims.
The respondents included the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs as first respondent; the British Government as second respondent; the Federal Government of Nigeria as third respondent; the Attorney-General of the Federation as fourth respondent; and the Head of the Commonwealth/Government of the United Kingdom as fifth respondent.
NAN reports that no legal representatives appeared for the first, second, fifth, and sixth respondents during the hearing of the case.
In his judgment, Justice Onovo described the killings as unlawful and extrajudicial, constituting a gross violation of the miners’ right to life. He held the British colonial administration fully liable for the massacre and ordered the payment of substantial compensation, a formal apology, and diplomatic engagement to address the historical wrong.
According to the judge, the British Government must be held accountable and compelled to make reparations to the families of the slain miners.
“These defenceless coal miners were only asking for better working conditions. They posed no violent threat to the authorities, yet they were shot and killed,” Justice Onovo stated.
The court ruled that the first, second, fifth, and sixth respondents are jointly liable to pay £20 million for each victim, bringing the total compensation to £420 million for the violation of the miners’ right to life.
Justice Onovo further ordered that the awarded sum should attract post-judgment interest at the rate of 10 per cent per annum until fully liquidated. However, claims for pre-judgment interest and exemplary damages were declined.
He also directed the British Government to issue unreserved written apologies to the families of the victims through their legal representatives. The apologies are to be published in Nigeria’s Daily Sun, Daily Independent, and The Punch newspapers, as well as in three major national newspapers in the United Kingdom, acknowledging the historical injustice.
The judge ordered that proof of publication be filed before the court within 60 days, while full payment of the compensation must be made within 90 days from the date of judgment.
Justice Onovo further held that the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Attorney-General of the Federation have a constitutional duty under Sections 19(d) and 150(1) of the Constitution to seek redress on behalf of the victims. He described their prolonged failure to act as a dereliction of constitutional responsibility.
He consequently ordered the Nigerian Government to commence and pursue diplomatic engagement with the British Government within 60 days to ensure justice, effective remedies, and reparations for the affected families.
The judge dismissed a preliminary objection based on sovereign immunity, affirming the court’s jurisdiction to entertain the suit. He emphasized that serious historical injustices remain justiciable under the Nigerian Constitution.
“The argument by the representative of the Federal Government that Nigeria was under colonial rule at the time of the killings is hereby struck out,” he ruled.
Reacting to the judgment, counsel to the applicants, Prof. Yemi Akinseye-George, SAN, and P. N. Agazie, described the ruling as historic, noting that it sends a clear message that governments must not condone abuse, torture, or the unlawful taking of human life.
They said the judgment drew persuasive guidance from international precedents, including the United Kingdom’s Mau Mau settlement, underscoring the obligation of states to provide redress for grave human rights violations.
“This decision represents a major milestone in the pursuit of historical accountability and justice for colonial-era abuses. It affirms that the right to life transcends time, borders, and changes in sovereignty,” Akinseye-George stated. (NAN)