Police Retreat Funds Not Diverted, Says Lenders Consult
By Comfort Chukwukelue
Lenders Consult International Limited has denied allegations that funds meant for the organisation of the Conference and Retreat for Senior Police Officers were diverted, describing the claim as false and misleading.
The company and its Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Shina Philips, were reacting to a report published on March 3, 2026, by an online news platform which alleged that funds intended for the Nigeria Police Conference and Retreat for Senior Police Officers had been misappropriated.
In a statement, the firm said the report failed to reflect its position and maintained that neither the company nor its chief executive had diverted any funds related to the event.
According to the company, it initiated and has organised the Nigeria Police Conference and Retreat for Senior Police Officers as part of efforts to support capacity building within the Nigeria Police Force.
The firm explained that the retreat brings together senior officers from the rank of Commissioner of Police and above to review policing strategies and exchange ideas on security challenges facing the country.
Lenders Consult said its collaboration with the police began after it proposed organising the annual conference and retreat, with the arrangement that the company would approach potential sponsors to fund the programme.
“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,” the statement said.
“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, and it has been in place since 2019.”
The company noted that the maiden edition of the conference was held in 2019 with the Lagos State Government as host sponsor. The event was declared open by former President Muhammadu Buhari, represented at the time by then Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo.
Subsequent editions were held in Uyo in February 2022 and later in Owerri between 2022 and 2024, before the 2025 edition in Abeokuta.
Lenders Consult further insisted that it had never received funding from the Nigeria Police for the conference, describing the event as a private initiative designed to support the force.
“For emphasis, we state that we have never at any time received any money from the Nigeria Police for the organisation of the conference and retreat,” the company said.
“As a corporate organisation, we have continued to support the programme even in situations where sponsorship funds were insufficient to fully cover the cost of the event.”
The firm also dismissed claims that it shared any funds with the immediate past Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, or any other police official.
It added that the conference had contributed to reforms within the police force, including the establishment of the Police Institute in Abuja.
The company further disclosed that it later proposed the creation of the Nigeria Police Awards and Commendations to recognise outstanding officers within the force.
According to the statement, two editions of the awards have been held in 2024 and 2025 in Abuja and were fully sponsored by Lenders Consult International and its partners.
Lenders Consult also said its Managing Director, Dr. Philips, a FIFA-licensed football agent, has maintained a longstanding professional relationship with the Nigeria Police through various initiatives.
The statement added that Philips was appointed a consultant to the police in 2020 to coordinate activities for Police Week 2020, which was eventually cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
It said since the appointment, Philips has continued to support police initiatives without receiving payment, noting that some official trips he undertook alongside the immediate past Inspector-General of Police were self-funded.
The company described itself as a responsible corporate organisation and reaffirmed its commitment to supporting initiatives aimed at strengthening the Nigeria Police Force.
