UK: We’ve Not Been Notified of Judgment Awarding £420m to Families of Nigerian Coal Miners

Sunday Ehigiator

The Government of the United Kingdom has not been notified of the court judgment that ordered it to pay £420 million as compensation to the families of murdered Nigerian coal miners, its spokesman has said.

Reacting to the news of last Thursday’s judgment of the Enugu State High Court, which ordered the British government to pay £20 million to each of the families of the 21 coal miners killed in Enugu on November 18, 1949, a spokesperson for the UK government told the BBC that it could not comment on the matter, due to absence of a formal notification.

The presiding judge, Justice Anthony Onovo, ruled that the killings were unlawful and constituted an extrajudicial violation of the right to life.

The suit was filed by human rights activist Greg Onoh, who sought an acknowledgement of liability, a formal apology from the British government, and comprehensive compensation for the victims’ families.

Respondents in the suit are the Secretary of State for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office; the British government; the Federal Government of Nigeria; the Attorney-General of the Federation; the Head of the Commonwealth, and the government of the United Kingdom.

No counsel represented the first, second, fifth, and sixth respondents.

On November 1, 1949, workers at the coal mine in Iva Valley, Enugu, the administrative capital of the old Eastern Region at the time, went on strike over harsh working conditions and debts owed by the colonial administration.

Coal was a major source of energy and revenue during the British colonial government.

Displeased with the strike action, the colonial authorities ordered the shutdown of coal mining operations at the Iva Valley — a move that the miners rejected.

Amid the tension, FS Philip, the police chief, was said to have ordered the shooting of the striking coal miners, killing at least 21 of them and injuring several others.

The victims were Sunday Anyasodo, Ani Oha, Andrew J. Obiekwe Okonkwo, Augustine Chiwetalu, Onoh Ugwu, Ngwu Offor, Ndunguba Eze, Okafor Agu, Livinus Ukachunwa, Jonathan Agu Ozoani, Moses Ikegbu Okoloha, and Chukwu Ugwu.

Others were Thomas Chukwu, Simon Nwachukwu, Agu Alo, Ogbonnia Ani Chima, Nnaji Nwachukwu, William Nwaku, James Onoh Ekeowa, Felix Nnaji, and Ani Nwaekwe.