The £420 million judgment delivered by the Enugu State High Court in favour of families of coal miners killed in 1949 has been formally transmitted to the government of the United Kingdom for enforcement.
The historic ruling, delivered 75 years after the fatal shooting of striking miners in Enugu, ordered the UK to pay £20 million to each of the 21 victims’ families, bringing the total compensation to £420 million. The court held that the killings were unlawful and that the colonial administration bore responsibility.
The judgment, delivered on February 5, 2026, by Justice Anthony Onovo, directed that the compensation be paid within 60 days. The UK government is also required to report compliance to the court within 90 days.
Confirming the development in Abuja, Professor Yemi Akinseye-George, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria who led the legal action on behalf of the families, said the judgment has been served on the British authorities through the British High Commission in Nigeria. He expressed confidence that the order of the Nigerian court would be respected.
According to Akinseye-George, the ruling marks a turning point in a decades-long search for justice by the families of the slain miners. He described the decision as a reaffirmation of the sanctity of human life and the rule of law.
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The case traces back to November 18, 1949, when coal miners in Enugu embarked on a protest over poor working conditions and discriminatory labour practices under British colonial rule. The protest was met with gunfire from colonial police officers, resulting in the death of 21 unarmed workers.
The court further ordered the UK authorities to issue a formal apology to the families of the victims. The apology must be published in four national newspapers in Nigeria and three newspapers in the United Kingdom.
In addition, the court ruled that if the £420 million compensation is not paid within the stipulated time, a post-judgment interest of 10 percent per annum will accrue on the sum until it is fully settled.
The suit was initiated by human rights activist Mazi Greg Nwanchukwu Onoh, whose legal action culminated in what observers have described as one of the most significant post-colonial accountability rulings in Nigeria’s judicial history.
The enforcement of the £420 million judgment against the United Kingdom over the 1949 Enugu coal miners massacre is expected to generate international legal and diplomatic attention in the coming weeks.
