Fed govt exposes plot by foreign mining firm to blackmail Nigeria during Tinubu’s UK visit
Fed govt exposes plot by foreign mining firm to blackmail Nigeria during Tinubu’s UK visit
…says ‘discredited Jupiter Ltd’ planning staged protest
…ministry insists revoked licences linked to unpaid ₦2.49bn fees
The Federal Government has uncovered what it described as a plot by a foreign mining company, Jupiter Ltd, to orchestrate a campaign of blackmail against Nigeria during the state visit of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the United Kingdom.
The Ministry of Solid Minerals Development disclosed on Sunday that the embattled firm allegedly plans to sponsor a staged protest and media campaign aimed at discrediting the Nigerian government over the enforcement of mining regulations.
In a statement issued by the Special Assistant on Media to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Mr. Segun Tomori, the ministry warned that the alleged campaign was being driven by individuals whose mining interests in Nigeria were sanctioned for breaching the country’s laws.
According to the ministry, the controversy stems from the revocation of several mineral titles belonging to Basin Mining Ltd, a Nigerian company linked to Australian national Steve Davis, after the firm allegedly defaulted on statutory financial obligations.
“The mineral titles were revoked due to failure to pay statutory annual service fees amounting to Two Billion, Four Hundred and Ninety-Four Million Naira (₦2,494,000,000) for the 2024 and 2025 fiscal years,” the statement said.
The ministry insisted that the revocation followed due process and was carried out in line with the provisions of the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act (2007), after the company failed to meet its obligations despite receiving appropriate notices.
Officials also dismissed claims by Jupiter Ltd that the Nigerian government seized a British lithium project under armed guard and transferred it to a Chinese company, describing the allegations as fabricated.
The ministry further clarified that the Federal Government had no legal or contractual relationship with any entity known as Jupiter Lithium, stressing that Nigerian law does not permit the direct granting of mining licences to foreign companies.
It accused Mr. Davis of operating multiple companies to obtain mineral licences without undertaking genuine mining activities, a practice the government said had long undermined the development of the sector.
According to the statement, Davis is listed as a director in several firms, including Comet Minerals Ltd, Range Mining Ltd, Northern Numero Ltd, Sunrise Minerals Ltd and Iron Ore Mining Ltd.
“These practices worsen Nigeria’s challenge of illegal mining, as speculators obtain licences without undertaking actual mining operations, thereby denying serious investors with genuine capital the opportunity to develop the sector,” the ministry said.
The government maintained that ongoing reforms in the mining sector under President Tinubu’s administration would not be derailed by what it described as “a campaign of calumny” by discredited operators.
“The Federal Government of Nigeria cannot and will not be intimidated or blackmailed into abandoning reforms by the antics of any individual or company,” the statement added.
The ministry urged Nigerians and the international community to disregard what it called a planned “show of shame” during the President’s visit to the UK, warning that the allegations being circulated were part of an effort to pressure authorities into reversing regulatory actions.
It reaffirmed that Nigeria remains open to genuine investors willing to comply with its mining laws and regulatory framework.
To encourage responsible investment, the government said it has introduced incentives such as tax waivers on imported mining equipment, full repatriation of profits and other measures designed to improve the ease of doing business in the sector.
