Report: UK formally served £420m judgment over 1949 Iva Valley killings
Yemi Akinseye-George, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, has reportedly announced that the £420 million compensation judgment against the United Kingdom has been formally delivered to British government representatives.
According to a report by TheCable on Friday, Akinseye-George, who led the legal team in the case, confirmed during a press briefing in Abuja that certified true copies of the judgment had been served on all parties involved, including the British High Commissioner to Nigeria.
The ruling was issued by Justice Anthony Onovo of the Enugu State High Court. The court ordered the UK government to pay £420 million in damages for the killing of 21 coal miners during the 1949 Iva Valley massacre.
In his February 5 judgment, Onovo held that the fatal shooting of the unarmed miners by colonial police amounted to unlawful deprivation of life. He directed that the full compensation be paid within 60 days, with an additional 10 percent annual interest accruing on any outstanding amount until it is fully settled.
Beyond the financial award, the court mandated that a written apology be issued to the victims’ families. The apology must be published in Nigerian newspapers — including The Guardian and The Punch — as well as in three national newspapers in the UK.
The court also instructed the Attorney-General of the Federation and other relevant Nigerian authorities to commence formal diplomatic engagement with the British government within 60 days.
The lawsuit was initiated by Greg Nwachukwu Onoh on behalf of the families and dependants of the deceased miners.
Reacting to the development, a spokesperson for the UK government told the BBC that it could not comment due to the lack of official notification.
