£420m judgment over 1949 coal miners’ killing served on British high commissioner, says lawyer

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Yemi Akinseye-George, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), says the judgement ordering the United Kingdom (UK) to pay £420 million as compensation to families of Nigerian coal miners killed in 1949 has been served on representatives of the British government.

Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on Friday, Akinseye-George, who led the legal team that handled the case, said certified true copies (CTC) of the judgement have been served on all parties in the suit, including the British high commissioner to Nigeria.

The judgement was delivered by Anthony Onovo, judge of a high court in Enugu state, who ordered the UK to pay £420 million in compensation over the killing of 21 coal miners during the 1949 Iva Valley massacre.

Delivering judgement on February 5, Onovo ruled that the killings of the unarmed miners by colonial police officers constituted an unlawful deprivation of life.

The judge ordered that all sums must be paid within 60 days, adding that post-judgement interest of 10 percent per annum shall accrue until full payment.

Beyond monetary compensation, the judge also ordered a written apology to the victims’ families, which must be published in Daily Sun, Daily Independent, The Guardian, The Punch, and three national newspapers in the UK. Thecable