Justice A. O. Onovo of the Enugu State High Court has adjourned the case seeking justice for 21 coal miners allegedly killed by British colonial police during the 1949 Iva Valley massacre. The next hearing is now scheduled for September 18, 2025.
The adjournment came after the court granted a motion for amendment filed by the plaintiffs in suit No. E/909/2024. The lawsuit, initiated by Greg Nwachukwu Onoh on behalf of the victims’ families, demands justice and accountability for the killings that took place during a peaceful workers’ protest at the Iva Valley coal mine in Enugu on November 18, 1949.
In the suit, the plaintiffs accuse the Nigerian government, the British government, and the Head of the Commonwealth of complicity and demand compensation, a public apology, and formal acknowledgement of wrongdoing by the British authorities.
They argue that the right to life of the slain miners was grossly violated, both under colonial-era laws and modern Nigerian legal standards. The shooting, allegedly ordered by British Superintendent of Police F.S. Philip, left 21 miners dead and 51 others injured. The workers had been protesting poor labor conditions and demanding fair pay.
The plaintiffs describe the event as a case of unlawful and excessive use of force, amounting to state-sanctioned murder and a violation of both domestic and international human rights laws.
Previously, on November 12, 2024, the court had granted permission for the case to proceed, including an order for substituted service of court documents to the respondents.
The plaintiffs’ legal team—P.N. Agazie, Ozioma Eguzuruibe, Chidinma Eze, and Florence Iloanya, acting on behalf of lead counsel Prof. Yemi Akinseye-George (SAN)—filed the motion to amend their claims on June 3, 2025. The motion was backed by an affidavit and an exhibit, along with a request to schedule a definite hearing date.
During Wednesday’s court session, N.R. Chude, representing the third and fourth respondents, did not object to the motion but requested time to file a response. The first, second, and fifth respondents were not present in court.
Justice Onovo granted the motion and gave the respondents 21 days to file a consequential amendment, then adjourned the matter to September 18, 2025.
The Iva Valley massacre remains one of the darkest moments in Nigeria’s colonial history. The 1949 killing of striking miners has long symbolized the struggle against colonial injustice and the fight for workers’ rights.
