Police conference funds not diverted, says organiser Shina Philips

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, describing the claims as false and misleading.

The company, led by its Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Shina Philips, made the clarification in a statement issued in response to a report published on 3 March by an online platform which alleged that funds intended for the conference had been misappropriated.

According to the firm, the report failed to include its own account of events and wrongly suggested that the company received funds from the Nigeria Police Force for the organisation of the retreat.

Lenders Consult stated that it initiated the idea of the conference as part of efforts to support capacity building within the police and has remained responsible for sourcing sponsorship for the programme.

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“Arising from our desire to support the Nigeria Police in their capacity-building efforts, we approached the police authorities with a proposal to organise an annual Conference and Retreat for Senior Police Officers, bringing together senior officers from the rank of Commissioner of Police and above to engage in peer review and cross-fertilization of ideas.

“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. This arrangement is official and has been in place since 2019,” the statement reads in part.

The company said the maiden edition of the conference was held in 2019 with the Lagos State Government serving as host sponsor. According to the statement, the event was declared open by former President Muhammadu Buhari, who was represented by then Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo.

Subsequent editions of the conference, it added, were held in Uyo in February 2022, in Owerri between 2022 and 2024, and in Abeokuta in 2025.

“We kicked off the maiden edition in 2019 with the Lagos State Government as the host sponsor. The event was declared open by His Excellency, late President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR, represented by His Excellency, Yemi Osinbajo GCON, the then Vice-President. The Conference and Retreat have subsequently been held in Uyo in February 2022, Owerri in October 2022, 2023, 2024, and Abeokuta in 2025.

The firm stressed that it had never received funds from the Nigeria 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. As a corporate entity, we have worked tirelessly to keep the Conference and Retreat afloat, even when sponsorship funds were inadequate to cover the event’s costs.

“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, Ph.D., NPM, any past Inspector-General of Police, or Force Public Relations Officer.

The company also noted that it had proposed the establishment of an annual Nigeria Police Awards and Commendations to recognise outstanding officers within the force.

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It said two editions of the awards were held in Abuja in 2024 and 2025 and were fully sponsored by the company and its partners.

Lenders Consult added that Mr Philips, a FIFA-licensed football agent and founder of the Nigeria Pitch Awards, had maintained a longstanding relationship with the police through several initiatives aimed at supporting the force.

“In recognition of his commitment, he was appointed a Consultant to the Police in 2020 and tasked with serving as the sole consultant for the Police Week 2020, which was sadly aborted by COVID-19. Since then, he has continued to make his contributions without receiving any pay. It is based on this appointment that he has had to travel with the immediate Inspector-General of Police. Some of those trips were self-funded, and at no time was any money paid to him or the Company for any of them.

The firm reaffirmed that it remains committed to supporting the Nigeria Police and maintaining a transparent relationship with stakeholders, including the media.