Nigerian Court Orders UK to Pay £420m in Colonial Reparations

A High Court in Enugu, South-East Nigeria, has ordered the British Government to pay £420 million (over N780 Billion Naira) in compensation to the families of 21 coal miners killed in the 1949 Iva Valley massacre, in a landmark ruling on colonial-era human rights violations.

Delivering judgment on Thursday, Justice A.O. Onovo held that the killings were unlawful and awarded £20 million per victim. The court directed the British Government to pay the full compensation within 90 days, with post-judgment interest of 10 percent annually until the amount is fully settled.

The miners were protesting harsh working conditions, racial discrimination and unpaid wages at the Iva Valley coal mine when colonial police opened fire, killing 21 and injuring 51 others.

The suit, was filed by human rights activist Mazi Greg N. Onoh, seeking reparations, accountability, and a formal apology for the killings. The court also ordered the British Government to issue an unreserved written apology to the victims’ families and publish it in selected Nigerian and British national newspapers within 60 days.

Respondents in the case included the British Government, the UK Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, the Federal Government of Nigeria, the Attorney General of the Federation and the Government of the United Kingdom. No legal representation was present for the British respondents.

The court dismissed claims of sovereign immunity, ruling that grave historical injustices remain justiciable under Nigeria’s Constitution. It also criticised the Nigerian Government for failing to pursue justice earlier and ordered it to initiate diplomatic engagement with the UK within 60 days.

Justice Onovo cited international precedents, including the United Kingdom’s Mau Mau settlement, in affirming that governments have a legal obligation to provide redress for serious human rights violations.

Safiya Muhammed Bello