Solid Minerals: FG alleges smear campaign against Tinubu during UK visit

President Tinubu

…vows to sustain mining reforms

By Gabriel Ewepu

ABUJA — The Federal Government has alleged plans by a mining firm, Jupiter Limited, to launch what it described as a campaign of calumny against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu during his state visit to the United Kingdom.

The government said the alleged move was aimed at blackmailing the ongoing efforts of the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development to sanitise Nigeria’s mining sector.

The allegation was contained in a statement issued by the Special Assistant on Media to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Segun Tomori.

According to Tomori, the ministry had become aware of plans by an “embattled mining firm,” Jupiter Ltd, to orchestrate negative publicity against the Federal Government during the president’s visit.

“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,” he said.

Tomori explained that earlier in the week, the Special Adviser to the minister, Kehinde Bamigbetan, responded to what he described as false allegations sponsored by Jupiter Ltd in a publication titled “Nigeria Seizes British Lithium Project Under Armed Guard.”

According to him, the government’s response, titled “In Nigeria’s Mining Sector, The Law Is No Respecter of Persons,” addressed the claims and accused individuals including Steve Davis and Hamish MacDonald of misleading activities within the mining sector.

He maintained that the allegations were baseless and unfounded, stressing that the Federal Government, through the Ministry and the Nigeria Mining Cadastral Office, had no legal or contractual relationship with any company known as Jupiter Lithium.

Tomori noted that the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act 2007 prohibits the granting of mining licences directly to foreign companies.

He explained that the controversy stemmed from the revocation of mineral titles belonging to Basin Mining Ltd, a Nigerian company allegedly linked to Australian national Steve Davis.

According to him, the titles were revoked after the company failed to pay statutory annual service fees totalling ₦2.494 billion for mineral titles 45454ML, 45117ML, 45118ML, 40532ML and 40533ML covering the 2024 and 2025 fiscal years.

“The revocation followed due notice served on the company in line with extant laws governing default in payment of annual service fees,” he said.

Tomori further alleged that Jupiter, which he described as unknown to mining authorities, falsely claimed that its licences were revoked in favour of a Chinese firm.

“This is a complete fabrication,” he said. He accused Davis of operating as a mining speculator who allegedly established multiple companies to acquire mineral titles without carrying out actual mining activities.

According to the statement, Davis is linked to several companies including Comet Minerals Ltd, Basin Mining Ltd, Range Mining Ltd, Northern Numero Ltd, Sunrise Minerals Ltd and Iron Ore Mining Ltd.

Tomori said such practices contributed to the problem of illegal mining, as some licence holders acquire mineral titles without undertaking genuine mining operations.

He added that the administration of President Tinubu would not tolerate activities capable of undermining reforms in the mining sector.

“The nefarious activities of the past that stunted the growth of the mining sector will no longer be tolerated. Ongoing reforms that have repositioned the sector and attracted growing global interest have come to stay,” he said.

He urged Nigerians and the international community to disregard what he described as attempts by “discredited individuals” to undermine the Federal Government’s reforms.

Tomori reiterated that the government would not be intimidated or blackmailed into abandoning its efforts to sanitise the mining sector.

He added that Nigeria remained open to genuine investors willing to operate within the country’s legal framework.

According to him, incentives introduced by the government to encourage responsible investment include tax waivers on imported mining equipment, full repatriation of profits and other measures aimed at improving the ease of doing business in the sector.