A Nigerian court has ordered Britain to pay about $572 million to families of coal miners killed under colonial rule.
The ruling addresses the 1949 Iva Valley massacre, where colonial police shot protesting miners in Enugu, southeastern Nigeria.
Justice Anthony Onovo found British colonial authorities directly responsible for the deaths of 21 miners seeking better working conditions.
The court ordered compensation of 20 million pounds for each family, totalling 420 million pounds in damages.
It also directed the British government to issue a formal apology to victims’ relatives for the historic abuse.
The miners were killed after occupying the coal mine, where police opened fire despite the protest being nonviolent.
For decades, families and activists pursued justice, viewing the killings as a catalyst for Nigeria’s independence movement.
Nigeria gained independence from Britain in 1960, eleven years after the Enugu shootings shook colonial authority.
Justice Onovo said the miners posed no threat and were unlawfully killed while exercising basic labour rights.
He added that compensation was an effective remedy for violations of the fundamental right to life.
The judge also criticised Nigeria’s government for failing to seek redress for the victims over many years.
British authorities declined to comment and were not represented during the court proceedings.
Defence lawyers hailed the decision as historic accountability, affirming that human rights violations do not expire with time.
