ENUGU — The Enugu State High Court has ordered the British government to pay £420 million in compensation to the families of 21 Nigerian coal miners killed by British colonial forces during the 1949 Iva Valley massacre.
Delivering judgment on Tuesday, Justice Anthony Onovo ruled that the killings were unlawful and amounted to an extrajudicial violation of the victims’ right to life.
The court also directed the United Kingdom to issue a formal apology to the victims’ families, both through their legal representatives and via national newspapers in Nigeria and the UK.
Justice Onovo ordered that each family receive £20 million, with post-judgment interest of 10 percent per annum until the judgment debt is fully paid. However, the court declined to award pre-judgment interest and exemplary damages.
The lawsuit was instituted by human rights activist Greg Onoh, who sought judicial recognition of the British government’s liability and full reparations for the families of the slain miners.
Named as respondents in the suit were the British government, the UK Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, the Head of the Commonwealth, as well as the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Attorney-General of the Federation.
In his ruling, Justice Onovo urged the Nigerian government to engage the British government through diplomatic channels within 60 days to ensure compliance with the judgment and the implementation of reparations.
The case stems from events at the Iva Valley coal mine in Enugu on November 1, 1949, when miners embarked on a strike demanding improved wages and safer working conditions.
According to the court, British colonial authorities ordered the closure of the mine, but when the miners resisted, the then colonial Police Chief, F.S. Philip, allegedly instructed soldiers to open fire on the unarmed workers.
The attack claimed the lives of 21 miners, including 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 Iva Valley massacre remains one of the most tragic episodes of colonial-era violence in Nigeria’s history.
Credit: Vanguard
