The Ministry of Solid Minerals Development has dismissed recent attacks by one Billyamniu Suraj as baseless and politically motivated, linking them to a disgruntled foreign licence holder whose mining permits were revoked for multiple violations.

According to sources within the ministry, Suraj’s recent outburst against the Minister of Solid Minerals Development and the ministry’s ongoing reforms was sponsored by a major defaulter in the sector. The individual, described as “the highest debtor in the sector’s history for annual service fee payments,” reportedly lost several mining licences during a recent nationwide enforcement of compliance with the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act.

“Out of several hundred licences that were revoked for offences ranging from dormancy to non-payment of service fees, only one of the defaulters is raising alarm,” a senior ministry official revealed.

“This particular foreign operator held licences for years without carrying out any operation or paying a single kobo in service to the government. Now, after his licences were withdrawn, he has resorted to blackmail and sponsoring unpatriotic elements to attack the ministry’s efforts at sanitising the sector.”

The source added that the defaulter had a long history of attempting to frustrate government regulation through lobbying, threats, and misinformation but failed to derail the ongoing reforms.

The ministry described Suraj’s recent public comments in which he accused the government of stifling the mining sector as false, malicious, and unsupported by facts.

“Billyamniu Suraj’s statements are nothing more than fabrications aimed at undermining the widely-acclaimed 8-Point Agenda of the Minister of Solid Minerals Development,” the source said.

“These attacks are part of a coordinated campaign by vested interests who benefited from years of impunity in the sector and now feel threatened by the new wave of transparency and enforcement.”

Officials reiterated that the ministry’s reforms are designed to promote accountability, attract credible investors, and ensure that Nigeria benefits fully from its vast mineral resources.

“The era of holding mining titles without any operational commitment is over,” the ministry stressed. “Every licence holder is now required to comply with the terms of the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act, including prompt payment of service fees, adherence to safety standards, and environmental responsibility.”

The Ministry of Solid Minerals Development reaffirmed its commitment to cleaning up the mining sector and ensuring that only serious, law-abiding investors remain in operation, warning that further blackmail or misinformation will not deter the enforcement of due process and transparency.