The United Kingdom has stated it is not yet aware of a Nigerian court ruling ordering it to pay £420 million in compensation to the families of 21 coal miners killed by colonial police in 1949.
A UK government spokesperson told the BBC it could not comment on the judgment, as it had not received formal notification.
On Thursday, the Enugu State High Court ruled that the British government must pay £20 million to each of the families of the miners killed on November 18, 1949, at the Iva Valley coal mine in Enugu. Justice Anthony Onovo described the shootings as an unlawful and extrajudicial violation of the right to life.
The lawsuit was filed by human rights activist Greg Onoh, who sought an official apology and comprehensive compensation. The colonial-era massacre occurred when police opened fire on miners who were striking over poor working conditions and unpaid wages.
The UK government was among the respondents in the case but was not represented by legal counsel during the proceedings.
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