The Federal Government has accused embattled mining company Jupiter Ltd of orchestrating a “campaign of calumny” aimed at discrediting Nigeria and President Bola Tinubu during his upcoming state visit to the United Kingdom.
In a statement issued on Sunday by Segun Tomori, Special Assistant on Media to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, the ministry claimed the alleged plot is intended to mislead the international community about reforms in the mining sector and the revocation of certain mineral licences.
The controversy centres on the revocation of mineral titles held by Basin Mining Ltd, a Nigerian company linked to Australian national Steve Davis.
The ministry stated that the titles (45454ML, 45117ML, 45118ML, 40532ML, and 40533ML) were revoked due to non-payment of statutory annual service fees amounting to N2.494 billion for the 2024 and 2025 fiscal years, following due notice and in line with Nigerian mining regulations.
The government dismissed as “a tissue of falsehoods” a publication titled ‘Nigeria Seizes British Lithium Project Under Armed Guard,’ which it attributed to Jupiter Ltd.
It rejected claims that the revoked titles were reassigned to a Chinese firm, describing such assertions as fabrications designed to deceive stakeholders.
The ministry further alleged that individuals like Steve Davis and Hamish MacDonald have been involved in arrangements that violate Nigerian laws, including using companies such as Comet Minerals Ltd, Basin Mining Ltd, Range Mining Ltd, Northern Numero Ltd, Sunrise Minerals Ltd, and Iron Ore Mining Ltd to speculate on mineral titles without conducting actual mining operations.
Foreign entities are prohibited from directly holding mineral titles under Nigerian law.
Special Adviser to the Minister, Kehinde Bamigbetan, in a related response titled ‘In Nigeria’s Mining Sector, The Law Is No Respecter of Persons,’ emphasised that enforcement actions are necessary to address dormant licences and illegal mining practices.
The statement stressed: “The Federal Government of Nigeria cannot and will not be intimidated or blackmailed into abandoning reforms by the antics of any individual or company.”
It reaffirmed commitment to transforming the mining sector focusing on lithium, gold, iron ore, and rare earth elements into a major driver of economic diversification and GDP growth.
The ministry noted it has no legal or contractual relationship with any entity known as Jupiter Lithium.
President Tinubu’s state visit to the UK is scheduled for March 18–19, 2026, where he will be hosted by King Charles III at Windsor Castle the first such visit by a Nigerian president in nearly four decades.
The trip aims to bolster diplomatic, economic, trade, investment, security, and cultural ties, including discussions on opportunities in mining and other sectors.
The government urged stakeholders to disregard attempts by “discredited individuals” to undermine the reform agenda and called for support in repositioning Nigeria’s mining industry for sustainable development.
No immediate response has been reported from Jupiter Ltd or the named individuals.
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