The shooting of 21 Nigerian coal miners during a 1949 protest constituted an extrajudicial violation of the right to life, a judge in the African state has ruled
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. © Benjamin Cremel - WPA Pool/Getty Images
[RT]A
Nigerian court has ordered Britain to pay £420 million ($570 million)
in compensation to the families of coal miners killed by colonial
authorities in the West African country more than seven decades ago.
British
colonial police shot dead 21 Nigerian coal miners during a protest at
the Iva Valley Coal Mine in Enugu on November 18, 1949, after workers
downed tools over poor working conditions, racial disparities in wages,
and unpaid arrears.
On Thursday, Enugu High Court Justice Anthony
Onovo ruled that the killings amounted to an unlawful, extrajudicial
violation of the right to life and ordered the British government to pay
£20 million per victim “as effective remedy and compensation.”
“These defenseless coal miners were asking for improved work conditions, they were not embarking on any violent action against the authorities, but yet were shot and killed,” the judge said, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
The court also ordered the payment of post-judgment interest at
a rate of 10% per year until the compensation is fully paid. It further
directed that written apologies be published in Nigerian and British
newspapers within 60 days, with compensation paid within 90 days.
The
case was filed by Nigerian rights activist Greg Onoh, who sought a
formal apology and compensation on behalf of the victims’ families.
Local media reported that British respondents did not appear in court.
Yemi Akinseye-George, one of the lawyers for the applicants, hailed the ruling as “a significant milestone in the pursuit of historical accountability,” saying it affirms “that the right to life transcends time, borders, and changes in sovereignty.”
The judgment comes amid long-running disputes over colonial-era
grievances and growing debates in recent years over reparations for
slavery and colonialism across Africa.
British authorities have yet to publicly respond to the Nigerian court order.
Britain
has previously settled some historical abuse claims while insisting
that it does not accept legal liability for the actions of the colonial
administration. In 2013, London agreed to pay £19.9 million in costs and
compensation to more than 5,000 elderly Kenyans who suffered torture
and abuse during the Mau Mau uprising in the 1950s.