A court in Nigeria has ruled that the UK government pay the sum of $27m (£20m) to the 21 families of coal miners who were killed during colonial rule in the south-east in 1949.
The then colonial police, made up of Nigerian and European officers, shot dead workers who were striking for improved working conditions with dozens injured.
The killings occurred on 18 November 1949 in Enugu, which then was the administrative capital of the Eastern Region under British rule.
Delivering the rule, Justice Anthony Onovo of Enugu called the act an illegal and extrajudicial attack of the right to life, NAN reports.
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“These defenceless coal miners were asking for improved work conditions, they were not embarking on any violent action against the authorities, but yet were shot and killed,” Onovo said.
The suit was filed by human rights activist Mazi Greg Onoh, naming the British and Nigerian governments as respondents.
“This ruling represents a significant milestone in the pursuit of historical accountability and justice for colonial-era violations, affirming that the right to life transcends time, borders, and changes in sovereignty,” said Prof. Yemi Akinseye-George, the applicant’s lawyer.
The Iva Valley coal miners were striking over harsh working conditions, unpaid back wages, and unequal pay racial disparities.
According to NAN reports, when their complaints were ignored, they staged a “go-slow” protest and occupied the mine to stop the management from locking them out.
In response, the colonial-era police opened fire with authorities claiming they acted out of fear of being overwhelmed.
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