By Anthony Otaru
The Federal Government has accused a controversial mining company, Jupiter Ltd, of planning a smear campaign intended to embarrass President Bola Ahmed Tinubu during his upcoming state visit to the United Kingdom.
Government officials said the alleged plan forms part of a broader attempt to undermine ongoing reforms in Nigeria’s mining sector and distort international understanding of why certain mineral licences were recently revoked.
The allegation was disclosed by the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development in a statement released on Sunday by the Minister’s Special Assistant on Media, Segun Tomori.
According to the ministry, Jupiter Ltd has been spreading claims that Nigerian authorities forcefully seized a British-owned lithium project with the involvement of armed security personnel — an accusation the government described as inaccurate and misleading.
Tomori further clarified that the Federal Government has no legal or contractual dealings with any organisation known as Jupiter Lithium, stressing that Nigeria’s mining laws prohibit foreign companies from directly owning mineral titles.
“It has come to the attention of the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development that an embattled mining firm, Jupiter Ltd, plans to orchestrate a campaign of calumny against the Federal Government of Nigeria during the state visit of President Bola Tinubu to the United Kingdom,” the statement said of the plot to embarrass the visiting president.
The ministry explained that the dispute originated from the cancellation of mineral licences previously held by Basin Mining Ltd, a Nigerian company reportedly associated with Australian national Steve Davis.
Authorities said the licences were withdrawn after the company failed to fulfil mandatory financial obligations stipulated under Nigeria’s mining regulations.
Officials revealed that Basin Mining Ltd owed outstanding annual service fees amounting to ₦2.494 billion covering the 2024 and 2025 financial years.
Consequently, mineral titles numbered 45454ML, 45117ML, 45118ML, 40532ML and 40533ML were revoked after the company was formally notified in line with established regulatory procedures.
The ministry also dismissed allegations that the cancelled licences were later transferred to a Chinese firm, describing the claim as a deliberate attempt to misinform Nigerians and the global community.
The statement added that Davis is reportedly connected to several mining companies operating within Nigeria, including Comet Minerals Ltd, Basin Mining Ltd, Range Mining Ltd, Northern Numero Ltd, Sunrise Minerals Ltd and Iron Ore Mining Ltd.
According to the government, speculators commonly use such networks to secure mining licences without engaging in actual exploration or production — a practice officials say has worsened the challenge posed by dormant licences and illegal mining operations.
The ministry stressed that the ongoing reforms in the sector are aimed at addressing these irregularities and positioning mining as a stronger driver of Nigeria’s economic growth.
“The Federal Government of Nigeria cannot and will not be intimidated or blackmailed into abandoning reforms by the antics of any individual or company,” Tomori said.
He also reaffirmed the administration’s determination to develop the mining industry into a major contributor to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product.
Meanwhile, President Tinubu is scheduled to undertake a state visit to the United Kingdom from March 18 to 19 at the invitation of King Charles III, who will host the Nigerian leader at Windsor Castle.
The visit is expected to centre on deepening diplomatic and economic ties between Nigeria and the United Kingdom, with discussions likely to cover trade, investment, security cooperation, and migration.
