The Ministry of Solid Minerals Development (MSMD) has alleged that an embattled mining firm, Jupiter Ltd, is planning what it described as a “campaign of calumny” against Nigeria during the planned state visit of President Bola Tinubu to the United Kingdom.

MSMD disclosed that the firm is orchestrating the move to discredit ongoing reforms in the mining sector and misleading the international community about the circumstances surrounding the revocation of certain mineral licences.

In a statement issued on Sunday by the Special Assistant on Media to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Segun Tomori, the ministry dismissed claims that Nigeria seized a British lithium project under armed guard, describing the allegation as false and misleading.

According to the statement, the Federal Government, through the Ministry and the Nigeria Mining Cadastral Office (NMCO), has no legal or contractual relationship with any company known as Jupiter Lithium, as the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act (NMMA 2007) expressly prohibits the granting of mining licences to foreign companies.

The Ministry stated that the Special Adviser to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Kehinde Bamigbetan, earlier in the week, authored a robust response to a tissue of falsehoods sponsored by Jupiter Ltd in a publication titled ‘Nigeria Seizes British Lithium Project Under Armed Guard.'”

The Ministry replied in another publication, titled “In Nigeria’s Mining Sector, The Law Is No Respecter of Persons,” exposing the antics of one Steve Davis and Hamish MacDonald, whose deceitful enterprise in the mining sector eventually met the full weight of the law.

The Ministry explained that the allegations are baseless and unfounded.

The statement reads, “The bone of contention is the strict application of regulations governing the mining sector, which necessitated the revocation of mineral titles belonging to a Nigerian company, Basin Mining Ltd, fronted by the said Mr Davis, an Australian national.

Read Also

“The revocation was done after due notice was served on the company in line with extant laws on default in payment of annual service fees.”

The statement further revealed that the mineral titles were revoked due to failure to pay statutory annual service fees amounting to N2,494,000,000 for mineral titles 45454ML, 45117ML, 45118ML, 40532ML, and 40533ML for the 2024 and 2025 fiscal years.

The Ministry stressed that lawful actions were taken against the mining firm over failure to adhere to Nigerian mining laws, noting that such practices worsen Nigeria’s challenge of illegal mining.

The statement added, “Jupiter, though unknown to the mining authorities, peddled falsehoods by claiming that its titles were revoked in favour of a Chinese firm. This is a complete fabrication!

“Instead of adhering to Nigerian mining laws, Davis would rather operate surreptitiously as a mining speculator who sets up companies to acquire mineral titles and shortchange the nation. Unfortunately for him and his ilk, the government’s strict application of the regulations caught up with them.”

The statement further reads, “The same Davis is a director in six such companies: Comet Minerals Ltd, Basin Mining Ltd, Range Mining Ltd, Northern Numero Ltd, Sunrise Minerals Ltd, and Iron Ore Mining Ltd.

“Through these fronts, he held several licences but chose to cry blue murder when the law caught up with one of his companies for defaulting on statutory obligations.”

“Such 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 statement concluded.