Yemi Akinseye-George, SAN, has called on the UK government to comply with the judgement of the Enugu State High Court concerning the 1949 Iva Valley Massacre.
Mr Akinseye-George, a professor, made the call on Friday while addressing a news conference in Abuja.
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The News of Nigeria reported on 5 February that the High Court of Enugu State, presided over by Justice A.O. Onovo, delivered an 80-page landmark judgement, ordering the British government to pay £20 million each to the families of the 21 coal miners killed in Enugu State in 1949 by the Colonial administration.
The 21 unarmed coal miners at the Iva Valley Coal Mine, Enugu, were brutally shot dead on 18 November 1949 for protesting harsh working conditions, racial disparities in wages and unpaid back wages.
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Fifty-one others were injured during the shooting.
The suit was filed by rights activist Greg Onoh, who sought an acknowledgement of liability, a formal apology from the British government, and comprehensive compensation for the loss of their loved ones.
Mr Akinseye-George represented the applicant in the case.
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The respondents were the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs (the first respondent), the British government (the second respondent), and the Federal Government of Nigeria (the third).
Others were the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Head of the Commonwealth Government of the United Kingdom as the 4th and 5th respondents respectively.
“For over 75 years, the families of the victims lived without justice,” Mr Akinseye-George.
“This judgement marks the first formal judicial determination within Nigeria addressing the massacre and its legal consequences.”
The senior lawyer noted that the court ruled that sovereign immunity was not absolute.
“The court relied on both Nigerian and comparative jurisprudence and concluded that serious allegations of grave human rights violations cannot be summarily dismissed on technical immunity grounds,” he said.
He noted that the case raises serious questions of unlawful deprivation of life and that the court found that the applicant raised serious issues requiring adjudication.
“The court affirmed that Section 46 of the 1999 Constitution grants jurisdiction to High Courts to determine applications for the enforcement of fundamental rights.
“It made specific and enforceable orders, including monetary compensation, written apologies in many Nigerian national papers and British newspapers.”
Mr Akinseye-George said that the judgement does not merely examine history, it affirms present-day constitutional obligations.
The court had ordered that the Attorney-General of the Federation and relevant Nigerian authorities should formally initiate diplomatic engagement within 60 days.
And in addition, the Attorney-General of the Federation should submit a detailed compliance report to the court within 90 days.
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This, according to Mr Akinseye-George, ensures that enforcement moves beyond symbolic declarations into concrete diplomatic action.
The lawyer said, “They have served the Certified True Copy of the full judgement on the respondents.
“In addition, we have written formally to the Federal Government of Nigeria through the Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation.
“We have also formally notified the British Government through the High Commissioner at the British High Commission and demanded compliance with the judgement.
“As one of the world’s foremost proponents of the rule of law and human rights, the United Kingdom is expected to respect the decision of a competent Nigerian court and comply with its order,” he said.
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