After 76 years, victims of the Enugu coal miners massacre are finally getting justice.
This follows a landmark judgement of the Enugu State High Court, on Thursday which ordered the British Government to pay £420 million as compensation to families of the 21 coal miners killed on November 18, 1949, at the Iva Valley coal mine in Enugu, South -East of Nigeria.
Delivering the judgement, Justice A.O. Onovo described the killings as an unlawful and extrajudicial violation of the rights to life, holding the British colonial administration fully liable and awarding £20 million to each victim’s family, with a post-judgement interest of 10% per annum until fully paid.
The miners were shot during a peaceful protest against harsh working conditions, racial wage discrimination and unpaid entitlements.
They had adopted a go-slow action and occupied the mine, a move the Court noted posed no threat to the authorities before the Police opened fire, killing 21 and injuring dozens.
Aside financial compensation, the Court ordered the British Government to issue unreserved written apologies to the families, to be published in national newspapers in Nigeria and the United Kingdom, recognising the historical injustice committed during colonial rule.
Justice Onovo also faulted the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Attorney-General of the Federation for years of inaction, describing it as a dereliction of constitutional duty, and directed Nigeria to pursue diplomatic engagement with Britain within 60 days to ensure enforcement of the judgement.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
