The United Kingdom government has stated it has not received formal notification of a Nigerian court judgment ordering it to pay £420 million in compensation to the families of 21 coal miners killed in 1949. A UK government spokesperson told the BBC it could not comment on the matter due to` the lack of official communication.
The ruling was delivered on Thursday, February 5, by the Enugu State High Court, which ordered the British government to pay £20 million to each family. Presiding Judge Anthony Onovo ruled that the killings on November 18, 1949, were unlawful and constituted an extrajudicial violation of the right to life.
The lawsuit was filed by human rights activist Greg Onoh, who sought an acknowledgment of liability, a formal apology, and comprehensive compensation. The respondents included the UK Secretary of State for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the British government, the Nigerian Federal Government, and the Attorney-General of the Federation, among others. No legal counsel represented the UK-based respondents in court.
The case concerns the Iva Valley massacre, where colonial police opened fire on striking miners in Enugu. The miners had begun a strike on November 1, 1949, over harsh working conditions and unpaid debts owed by the colonial authorities. Police Chief F.S. Philip was said to have ordered the shooting, which killed at least 21 individuals and injured many others. Coal mining was a major economic activity for the British colonial administration in Nigeria at the time. The UK awaits formal legal notification before responding to the court’s judgment.
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