By Stella Odueme
Journalist and Special Adviser to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Kehinde Bamigbetan, has accused mining promoter Steve Davis and his associates of orchestrating an international disinformation campaign against Nigeria over the revocation of mining licences.
Bamigbetan made the allegation in a rejoinder to an October 18, 2026, article by Gordon Rayner published in the British newspaper, The Telegraph, which questioned former British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s support for Britain while advising Nigeria.
He described the article as contradictory, arguing that its allegations against Blair and the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change were undermined by the disclosure that the institute had no contract to advise the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Bamigbetan also disputed the report’s account of the mining dispute involving Jupiter and its Nigerian partners, Basin Mining Limited and Range Mining Limited.
According to him, the two companies lost their mining licences after failing to pay statutory annual service fees despite receiving several notices from the Nigerian Mining Cadastre Office.
He disclosed that Basin Mining Limited owed N1.223 billion, equivalent to about £691,368, adding that penalties continued to accrue while legal proceedings to recover the outstanding funds were underway.
The presidential aide argued that rather than settle the outstanding liabilities or allow the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes to determine the dispute, Jupiter had resorted to an international campaign aimed at discrediting the Nigerian government.
He further questioned the basis for the company's search for international sympathy, insisting that the matter should be resolved through established legal procedures.
Bamigbetan traced the dispute to reforms introduced by the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, following his appointment in August 2023.
He said Alake initiated a comprehensive clean-up of the mining sector, with particular emphasis on enforcing compliance with the Nigeria Minerals and Mining Act 2007 and recovering unpaid statutory fees.
According to him, the discovery of substantial outstanding payments prompted the ministry to notify indebted operators and gazette defaulters before revoking their licences in line with existing regulations.
He said the exercise culminated in the revocation of at least 1,663 mining licences in November 2023, describing the action as a demonstration of the government's determination to end regulatory violations in the sector.
Bamigbetan added that the government subsequently provided a three-month restitution window for affected operators to present complaints and seek consideration of exceptional circumstances.
However, he alleged that Davis failed to encourage his partners to take advantage of the opportunity and instead threatened to use his international connections to frustrate the Nigerian government.
He further claimed that the mining promoter expanded his campaign across Australia, Canada, the United States and Europe, including during President Bola Tinubu's official visit to the United Kingdom in March 2026.
Bamigbetan maintained that the government had provided clarifications to the British media on the dispute and urged journalists to exercise caution when reporting allegations concerning the mining companies.
He stressed that journalists had a responsibility to verify claims, scrutinise conflicting accounts and avoid publishing stories that could mislead the public.