Lenders Consult denies diverting funds for Nigeria Police Conference
Lenders Consult International Limited has denied allegations that it diverted funds meant for the organisation of the Conference and Retreat for Senior Police Officers, insisting that neither the company nor its Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Shina Philips, received or mismanaged any such funds.
The company made the clarification in response to a report published on March 3, 2026 by an online news platform which alleged that funds intended for the organisation of the Nigeria Police Force conference had been diverted.
In a statement, the firm described the allegation as false and criticised the report for failing to present its side of the story.
According to the company, it is the initiator and organiser of the Nigeria Pitch Awards, widely regarded as Nigeria’s longest-running football awards programme.
The firm explained that its collaboration with the Nigeria Police began after it proposed the organisation of an annual Conference and Retreat for Senior Police Officers aimed at supporting capacity building within the force. The retreat brings together officers from the rank of Commissioner of Police and above to review policing strategies and address security challenges.
Lenders Consult stated that its proposal included a plan to source sponsorship funding for the event from external partners, an arrangement it said was approved by the police authorities and has been in operation since 2019.
The company noted that the maiden edition of the conference was held in 2019 with the Lagos State Government serving as host sponsor. The event was declared open by former President Muhammadu Buhari, who was represented by then Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo.
Subsequent editions of the conference were held in Uyo in February 2022, Owerri between 2022 and 2024, and Abeokuta in 2025.
The company stressed that it has never received funding from the Nigeria Police to organise the conference, maintaining that the initiative is privately driven to support the force.
“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,” the company said.
It added that it has often worked to sustain the conference even when sponsorship funds were insufficient.
The firm also rejected claims that any funds were shared with the current Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, or any former police chiefs or officials.
According to Lenders Consult, the conference has contributed significantly to reforms within the police force, including the establishment of the Nigeria Police Institute in Abuja.
The company further revealed that it later proposed the creation of an annual Nigeria Police Awards and Commendations to recognise outstanding officers, with two editions already held in 2024 and 2025 in Abuja and fully sponsored by the company and its partners.
It added that Philips, a FIFA-licensed football agent, has maintained a long-standing working relationship with senior police officers through various initiatives. He was appointed a consultant to the police in 2020 and tasked with coordinating activities for Police Week 2020, which was eventually cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The company said Philips has continued to support police initiatives without receiving payment, noting that some official trips undertaken alongside the immediate past Inspector-General of Police were self-funded.
Reaffirming its position, Lenders Consult described itself as a responsible corporate organisation that has maintained cordial relations with the media since launching the Nigeria Pitch Awards in 2011.
“We have acted as a responsible corporate body by supporting the Government as best as we can,” the company said, adding that it remains committed to supporting initiatives that strengthen the Nigeria Police and improve policing in the country.
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