By Abdullahi Lukman
The Federal Government has dismissed allegations made by mining firm Jupiter Ltd, describing them as false and misleading, while warning that the company may be planning a smear campaign during the state visit of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the United Kingdom.
In a statement issued by the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, the government said it had become aware of attempts by the embattled firm to circulate what it described as “calumny” against Nigeria over the revocation of certain mineral licences.
Earlier in the week, the Special Adviser to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Kehinde Bamigbetan, responded to claims published in an article titled “Nigeria Seizes British Lithium Project Under Armed Guard.” In his rebuttal, titled “In Nigeria’s Mining Sector, The Law Is No Respecter of Persons,” Bamigbetan rejected the allegations and accused individuals including Steve Davis and Hamish MacDonald of spreading misinformation about developments in the sector.
According to the ministry, the Federal Government has no legal or contractual relationship with any company known as Jupiter Lithium.
It noted that under the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act 2007, foreign companies cannot be granted mining licences directly in Nigeria.
The government explained that the dispute arose from regulatory enforcement that led to the revocation of mineral titles previously held by Basin Mining Ltd, a Nigerian company linked to Davis, an Australian national. Authorities said the revocation followed due notice issued to the company for failure to pay statutory annual service fees.
The affected licences—numbered 45454ML, 45117ML, 45118ML, 40532ML, and 40533ML—were revoked after Basin Mining Ltd allegedly failed to pay service fees totaling ₦2.494 billion for the 2024 and 2025 fiscal years.
The ministry also rejected claims circulated by Jupiter that the licences were transferred to a Chinese company, describing the allegation as “a complete fabrication.”
Officials further accused Davis of operating as a mining speculator through several companies, including Comet Minerals Ltd, Basin Mining Ltd, Range Mining Ltd, Northern Numero Ltd, Sunrise Minerals Ltd, and Iron Ore Mining Ltd.
The government alleged that such companies obtained mineral licences without carrying out actual mining activities.
According to the ministry, this practice contributes to illegal mining and prevents genuine investors with adequate capital from developing the sector.
The government added that reforms introduced by the administration of President Tinubu are aimed at strengthening regulation, restoring transparency, and positioning the mining industry as a major contributor to Nigeria’s economy.
It urged both Nigerians and the international community to treat any further allegations by the individuals involved with caution, insisting that the Federal Government will not be intimidated or pressured into abandoning its reforms in the mining sector.