UK Awaits Formal Notification of Nigerian Court Ruling on 1949 Massacre Compensation
ENUGU, Nigeria — The British government says it has not yet received formal notification of a Nigerian court ruling ordering it to pay approximately $530 million in compensation to families of 21 coal miners killed in a 1949 colonial-era massacre.
The judgment was delivered by the Enugu State High Court, which ruled that the killings were unlawful. The case stems from the Iva Valley massacre, when colonial police opened fire on striking miners in Enugu over poor working conditions and unpaid wages. Many more miners were injured in the incident.
The lawsuit was filed by human rights activist Greg Onoh on behalf of the victims’ families.
A UK government spokesperson stated that officials will respond appropriately once formal legal notice of the ruling has been received and reviewed.
The Iva Valley massacre remains one of the most notorious incidents of colonial-era violence in Nigeria’s history. The shooting of unarmed miners by British colonial police occurred during a labor dispute, with workers demanding better conditions and back pay.
The court’s ruling, if enforced, would represent one of the largest colonial-era compensation awards against the British government relating to events in Nigeria.
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