Lenders Consult International Limited has denied allegations that funds meant for the organisation of 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 funds from the police for the event.
The company made the clarification in a statement responding to a report published on March 3, 2026, by an online platform which alleged that funds allocated for the conference had been diverted. The firm described the allegation as false and misleading, stating that the report failed to present its side of the story.
According to the statement, the company initiated the annual conference and retreat as part of efforts to support capacity building within the Nigeria Police Force.
It explained that the retreat brings together senior officers from the rank of Commissioner of Police and above to review operational strategies and exchange ideas on policing and national security challenges.
The firm noted that it proposed the initiative to the police authorities with the understanding that it would source sponsorship from corporate organisations to fund the programme.
“Our proposal included an obligation that, as initiators, Lenders Consult International would approach potential sponsors to fund the retreat. This arrangement was approved from the outset and has remained in place since 2019,” the statement said.
The company disclosed that the maiden edition of the conference was held in Lagos in 2019 with the Lagos State Government serving as host sponsor.
It added that the event was declared open by the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, who was represented at the time by then Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo.
Subsequent editions of the retreat were held in Uyo in February 2022, Owerri between 2022 and 2024, and most recently in Abeokuta in 2025.
The company stressed that the conference has always been privately funded through sponsorship and not through public funds from the police.
“We have never, at any time, received any money from the Nigeria Police for the organisation of the conference. As a corporate entity, we have continued to sustain the programme even when sponsorship funds were insufficient,” the statement added.
The firm also dismissed allegations that Philips shared any funds with former Inspector-General of Police Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun or other police officials.
According to the company, the conference has contributed significantly to reforms within the police, including discussions that led to the establishment of the Police Institute in Abuja.
The statement further revealed that the company later proposed the creation of an annual Nigeria Police Awards and Commendations to recognise outstanding officers within the force.
It said two editions of the awards were held in Abuja in 2024 and 2025, both fully sponsored by the company and its partners.
The firm also noted that Philips, a FIFA-licensed football agent, has maintained a longstanding professional relationship with the police through various initiatives aimed at supporting institutional development.
According to the statement, Philips was appointed a consultant to the police in 2020 and tasked with coordinating activities for Police Week 2020, which was later cancelled due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Since then, the company said he has continued to support police initiatives without receiving payment, adding that some official trips he undertook alongside the immediate past Inspector-General of Police were personally funded.
𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁𝘀𝗔𝗽𝗽 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝗧𝗼 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗟𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗔𝘀 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗗𝗿𝗼𝗽!
