UK Government Receives Court Order for £420 Million Payment to Enugu Coal Miners' Families

The High Court of Enugu State has officially communicated a judgment requiring a £420 million payout to the 21 Nigerian coal miners who lost their lives at the hands of colonial police in 1949 to the United Kingdom for enforcement.

This ruling, made 75 years following the tragic event, stipulates that each family of the deceased miners will receive £20 million. These miners were shot during a protest against inadequate working conditions and discriminatory labor practices.

Professor Yemi Akinseye-George, SAN, who spearheaded the legal proceedings, announced in Abuja that the ruling, issued on February 5, 2026, by Justice Anthony Onovo, has been formally delivered to the UK authorities via the British High Commissioner in Nigeria.

"The judgment is now with the British government for necessary action as mandated by the Nigerian court," Akinseye-George stated.

According to the court order, the UK is obligated to make the total payment of £420 million within a period of 60 days and must report on compliance within 90 days. Should the UK fail to fulfill this obligation, a 10% annual interest charge will be applied until the amount is fully settled.

Additionally, the court instructed the UK government to issue a formal apology to the victims' families, which must be published in four Nigerian newspapers along with three publications in the UK.

Reflecting on the events of November 18, 1949, Akinseye-George recounted how the miners' peaceful protest against oppressive working conditions was met with lethal force from colonial police, leading to the deaths of 21 unarmed laborers.

He commended human rights advocate Mazi Greg Nwanchukwu Onoh for initiating the lawsuit, expressing hope that this judgment will finally deliver justice and closure to the affected families after over seventy-five years of waiting.

Among the deceased were Sunday Anyasodo, Ono Oha, Andrew Obiekwe Okonkwo, Augustine Chiwefalu, and many others whose families have long sought reckoning for their losses.

Professor Akinseye-George hailed the ruling as a significant validation of human dignity and a long-awaited step toward justice for the families of the Enugu coal miners.