By Philomina Brando
Lenders Consult International Limited has denied allegations that funds meant for the Nigeria Police Conference and Retreat for Senior Police Officers were diverted, insisting that neither the company nor its Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Shina Philips, received any money from the police for the event.
The company made the clarification in a statement issued in response to a report published by an online news platform on March 3, 2026, which alleged that funds intended for the conference had been misappropriated.
According to the firm, the report was misleading and failed to include its side of the story.
Lenders Consult stated that it initiated and has organised the conference as a private effort to support capacity building within the Nigeria Police Force.
The company explained that the retreat brings together senior officers from the rank of Commissioner of Police and above to review policing strategies and share ideas on addressing security challenges.
It noted that its collaboration with the police began after it proposed organising the annual conference and retreat, with an arrangement that the company would approach sponsors to fund the event.
The firm said the proposal was approved by the police authorities and has been operational since 2019.
“Our proposal included an obligation that, as initiators, Lenders Consult International would be responsible for approaching potential sponsors to fund the retreat. This arrangement was well received and approved from the outset,” the statement said.
It added that the maiden edition of the conference was held in 2019 with the Lagos State Government serving as host sponsor.
The event, according to the company, was declared open by the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, who was represented by the then Vice-President, Yemi Osinbajo.
Subsequent editions were held in Uyo in February 2022, Owerri between 2022 and 2024, and Abeokuta in 2025.
The company maintained that it had never received any funds from the police to organise the event.
“We would like to state very strongly that we have never, at any time, received any money by way of funding from the Nigerian Police for the sponsorship of the event,” it said.
It also denied allegations that any funds were shared with current or former police chiefs, including retired Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun.
“For the sake of emphasis, we restate that Lenders Consult International, our MD/CEO and any member of our staff have at no time received any money from the Nigeria Police, nor have they ever shared any purported loot with retired IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun or any past Inspector-General of Police,” the statement added.
The firm further described the conference as impactful, noting that discussions from previous editions contributed to key reforms, including the establishment of the Nigeria Police Institute in Abuja.
Lenders Consult also disclosed that it later proposed the introduction of the Nigeria Police Awards and Commendations to recognise outstanding officers within the force.
According to the statement, two editions of the awards were held in 2024 and 2025 in Abuja and were fully sponsored by the company and its partners.
The company added that Philips, a FIFA-licensed football agent, had maintained a longstanding relationship with senior police officers through various initiatives.
It noted that he was appointed a consultant to the police in 2020 and was tasked with coordinating activities for Police Week 2020, which was later cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since the appointment, the firm said Philips had continued to support police initiatives without receiving payment, adding that some official trips he undertook with the immediate past Inspector-General of Police were self-funded.
It reaffirmed its commitment to supporting reforms and initiatives within the police force while maintaining what it described as a longstanding cordial relationship with the media since the launch of the Nigeria Pitch Awards in 2011.