Nigerian court orders UK to pay £420m over 1949 killing of miners
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A Nigerian court has ordered the British government to pay approximately £420 million to the families of 21 coal miners killed in Enugu, Nigeria, in November 1949. The miners were shot by colonial police during a strike protesting poor working conditions and wage disparities at the Iva Valley coal mine. The court ruling, delivered by Justice Anthony Onovo, deemed the killings unlawful and a violation of the miners' right to life. The lawsuit was brought by a human rights activist, seeking accountability for the colonial-era massacre. While the UK government stated it had not been formally notified and was not represented in the proceedings, the ruling marks a significant step in the decades-long campaign for acknowledgment and compensation by families and rights groups. Historians say the killings galvanized support for Nigerian independence, which was achieved in 1960.
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