Nasarawa Mining Dispute Deepens As Lideal Mines Files Appeal

The legal battle over mining rights in Endo Community, Nasarawa State, has intensified as Lideal Mines Limited filed an appeal against a Federal High Court ruling restraining parties from accessing disputed mining sites in the area.

The company, through its lead counsel, Martin Ojonimi Atojoko, approached the Court of Appeal, Makurdi Judicial Division, challenging the May 11, 2026 ruling, which barred all parties from conducting mining activities within the disputed cadastral units pending determination of the substantive suit.

In documents made available to journalists , Lideal Mines described the ruling as a “judicial overreach,” arguing that the court prematurely gave effect to executive actions being challenged in the main suit.

According to the company, the dispute centres on what it described as attempts by the Nasarawa State Government to unlawfully interfere in federally licensed mining operations.

“The learned trial judge erred in law when, having been invited in the substantive originating summons to determine whether the Government of Nasarawa State possessed any constitutional or statutory competence to suspend or interfere with federally-licensed mining operations, His Lordship proceeded at the interlocutory stage to give judicial effect to the very executive acts whose validity constitutes the substantive question before the court,” the company stated in its appeal.

Lideal Mines argued that the lower court’s decision effectively validated disputed executive actions before determining whether the state government had constitutional authority to undertake them.

The appeal is part of an ongoing suit before the Federal High Court in Abuja, where the company is challenging the alleged suspension of its operations and attempted takeover of its mining site.

The mining firm is seeking ₦5 billion in damages against the Nasarawa State Government, the state Attorney-General, and Ganfeng Lithium Industry Limited.

It is also asking the court to declare unconstitutional and void suspension and evacuation notices allegedly issued on February 4 and March 10, 2026.

According to court filings, the company alleged that more than 160 armed security personnel, including officers of the Nigeria Police Force and other agencies, were deployed to prevent it from accessing Cadastral Unit 3 in Endo Village.

“The 1st Defendant thereafter deployed over one hundred and sixty armed security personnel comprising officers of the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies, who forcefully prevented the Plaintiff from accessing or conducting any activity at the site,” the affidavit stated.

Lideal Mines further alleged that the disputed mining site was later reassigned to Ganfeng Lithium Industry Limited, an action it described as unconstitutional, unlawful, and void.

The company maintained that under the 1999 Constitution and the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act 2007, authority over mineral resources rests exclusively with the federal government.

Meanwhile, Lideal Mines has also filed a motion before the Federal High Court seeking a stay of execution of the May 11 ruling pending determination of its appeal.

The dispute has continued to raise tensions over mining rights, constitutional authority, and state involvement in federally licensed mineral operations in Nasarawa State.