By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola
The Federal Government has accused Jupiter Ltd of planning a campaign of calumny against Nigeria during the state visit of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the United Kingdom, following the revocation of mineral titles linked to the firm over alleged violations of mining regulations, reports thegazellenews.com
The full details of the alleged plot was contained in a press statement issued on Sunday, 15 March, 2026, by the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development.
The ministry said the alleged plot was uncovered after the government responded to what it described as false claims published earlier in the week in a report titled “Nigeria Seizes British Lithium Project Under Armed Guard.”
In the statement signed by the Special Assistant on Media to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Segun Tomori, the ministry said the Federal Government had no legal or contractual relationship with any company known as Jupiter Lithium, stressing that the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act, 2007, prohibits the granting of mining licences to foreign companies.
According to the ministry, the controversy arose from the revocation of mineral titles belonging to Basin Mining Ltd, a Nigerian-registered company allegedly linked to an Australian national, Mr. Steve Davis, after the company failed to meet its statutory obligations.
The ministry explained that the titles were withdrawn after due notice was served on the company for default in payment of annual service fees in line with existing mining regulations.
“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 for mineral titles 45454ML, 45117ML, 45118ML, 40532ML and 40533ML for the 2024 and 2025 fiscal years,” the statement said.
It added that the claims by Jupiter Ltd that its titles were revoked in favour of a Chinese company were false and intended to mislead the public.
“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,” the ministry stated.
The government further alleged that Mr. Davis had been operating through several companies in the mining sector, describing the activities as speculative and contrary to the objectives of the ongoing reforms in the industry.
“The same Davis is a director in six 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,” the statement added.
The ministry said such practices contribute to illegal mining and prevent genuine investors from developing the sector, noting that the Federal Government would no longer tolerate actions capable of undermining reforms introduced to reposition the industry.
It stressed that the current administration remains committed to enforcing regulations and restoring transparency in the solid minerals sector.
“The nefarious activities of the past that stunted the growth of the mining sector will no longer be tolerated by the Tinubu administration. Ongoing reforms that have repositioned the sector and attracted growing global interest have come to stay,” the statement said.
The ministry therefore urged Nigerians and members of the international community to disregard what it described as attempts by discredited individuals to discredit the government during the President’s visit abroad.
“We urge Nigerians and the international community to be wary of the impending show of shame by a few discredited individuals bent on circumventing the Federal Government’s resolve to restore sanity and transparency to the mining sector,” it stated.
Reaffirming its position, the Federal Government said it would not be intimidated or blackmailed into reversing its policies, adding that efforts to transform the mining sector into a major contributor to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product remain on course.
“The Federal Government of Nigeria cannot and will not be intimidated or blackmailed into abandoning reforms by the antics of any individual or company. Our commitment to transforming the mining sector into a major contributor to the nation’s GDP is unwavering,” the statement added.
The ministry also noted that Nigeria remains open to genuine investors willing to operate within the law, pointing out that incentives such as tax waivers on mining equipment and full repatriation of profits have been introduced to encourage responsible investment in the sector.
