By SUNDAY ABBA, Abuja
Community leaders in Southern Kaduna have accused Colin Ikin, an Australian mining executive, of manipulation and fraudulent activities in his dealings with local communities.
According to the community leaders, Ikin’s company, Atlantic Mining Techniques Limited, has been attempting to operate in the area, but locals have raised concerns about the methods adopted.
According to sources, Ikin has been using cash payments to secure local support, while making claims about high-level government connections.
“He gave out millions of Naira to buy loyalties from people who were willing to sell,” a community leader from Bakin Kogi said. “Some group of elders, a few of them were given 10 million naira in December 2024 by Colin Ikin. That is strange to me.”
The community leaders also accused Ikin of intimidation tactics and grandiose claims about his connections to the presidency.
“Colin Ikin boasts so much of having connections up to the presidency, and with that claim, he is bullying our people into accepting his own terms and surrendering our lands to his company, Atlantic Mining Techniques, for peanuts,” another community leader said.
Despite Ikin’s claims of government backing, our source said the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals has denied any record of his applications.
This denial raises questions about how Ikin has been operating in multiple Nigerian states without proper federal licensing.
Ikin’s history in Australia and Zimbabwe has also come under scrutiny, with allegations of corporate misconduct and financial irregularities.
In Zimbabwe, he faces allegations of forgery and illegal withdrawal of funds.
The Nikyob Development Association (NIDA) has taken formal action against Ikin’s activities, writing to the Australian High Commissioner in Abuja and requesting intervention.
In August 2025, NIDA wrote to the Australian High Commissioner in Abuja, Ms Leilani Bin-Juda, requesting intervention, detailing a pattern of alleged misconduct, including forgery, bribery, and intimidation of locals.
The letter, obtained through this investigation, details a pattern of alleged misconduct: “Mr Colin Ikin and his company has been involved in forgery, bribery and intimidation of locals who do not support their ‘land grabbing’ scheme. The situation is tense, to say the least.”
NIDA’s complaint highlights the contrast between Ikin’s methods and those of legitimate mining operators: “Other Australian citizens who over the past 10 years have been carrying out mineral explorations in our lands with licences from the Federal Government of Nigeria have blessed us with developmental projects such as schools renovation, scholarships for students, agricultural support, electrification, water boreholes and other interventions as provided for in our Community Development Agreements.”
The association accused Ikin of attempting to “grab our lands” from the rightful owners and from other licence holders including Basin Mining and Range Mining with the Jupiter Lithium project,” using forged consent documents after the traditional council withdrew its original approval which was obtained with misleading information.
The community leadership has recently written to the minister and the DG, Mining Cadastre Office (MCO) declaring that the community would not give consent to any new company the ministry or MCO sends to the community seeking for consent. The community wants continuity and consistency in the development of the mineral assets on their traditional land.
“Whatever consent Mr Ikin has or is parading is a forged document,” NIDA stated, adding that “Atlantic Mining Techniques limited and Colin Ikin are the ones sponsoring” court cases against existing licensed operators.