A Nigerian court in Enugu has ordered the British government to pay $27 million (£20 million) each to the families of 21 coal miners killed in 1949. The miners were shot dead by colonial police while peacefully striking for better work conditions. The court described the act as an unlawful and extrajudicial violation of their right to life. Justice Anthony Onovo said, "These defenceless coal miners were asking for improved work conditions, they were not embarking on any violent action against the authorities, but yet were shot and killed." The victims were protesting against harsh working conditions, racial wage gaps, and unpaid back wages at the Iva Valley coal mine. The workers had adopted a "go-slow" protest and occupied the mine to prevent lockout after their demands were ignored. The killings shocked the region and are considered one of the darkest acts of repression under British rule in Nigeria. The UK government has not yet responded, saying it was not formally notified and was not represented during the case. Human rights activist Mazi Greg Onoh led the decades-long campaign demanding justice and compensation. Lawyer Prof Yemi Akinseye-George called the ruling "a significant milestone in the pursuit of historical accountability and justice for colonial-era violations." Historian Damola Adebowale said this massacre was a "trigger-point" fueling Nigeria’s anti-colonial movement that led to independence in 1960. The victims are now remembered as heroes in the region. The massacre took place on 18 November 1949 in Enugu, then the colonial administrative capital of Eastern Nigeria. Colonial police had claimed self-defense during the shootings, but an inquiry blamed colonial leaders for worsening the situation. This historic court decision demands reparations that stretch across decades, reminding the world that the right to life knows no time or borders.