Police
Police Conference Funds Not Diverted, Says Conference Organizer, Shina Philips
Police Conference Funds Not Diverted, Says Conference Organizer, Shina Philips
Lenders Consult International Limited has stated that the company and its Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Shina Philips, did not divert funds meant for the organization of the Conference and Retreat for Senior Police Officers.
The company stated this in response to a report published on March 3, 2026, by an online news platform that alleged funds intended for the organization of the Nigeria Police Conference and Retreat for Senior Police Officers had been diverted. The company described the allegation as false and said the report failed to include its own side of the story.
According to the firm, it instituted and has been the organiser of the Nigeria Pitch Awards, described as the country’s longest-running football awards programme.
The company said its collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force began after it proposed organising an annual Conference and Retreat for Senior Police Officers as part of efforts to support capacity building within the force.
It explained that the retreat brings together officers from the rank of Commissioner of Police and above to engage in peer review and exchange ideas on policing and security challenges.
The firm said its proposal included an arrangement where it would approach potential sponsors to fund the conference and retreat, adding that the plan was formally approved and has been operational since 2019.
“Arising from our desire to support the Nigeria Police in their capacity-building efforts, we approached the police authorities with a proposal to organize 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.
It stated that the maiden edition of the conference was held in 2019, with the Lagos State Government serving as the host sponsor.
According to the company, 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 conference were held in Uyo in February 2022 and later in Owerri between 2022 and 2024, before the 2025 edition in Abeokuta.
“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, Professor Yemi Osinbajo GCON, the then Vice-President. The Conference and Retreat have subsequently been held in Uyo (February, 2022), Owerri (October, 2022, 2023, 2024), and Abeokuta (2025).
The company insisted that it has never received any funds from the police to organise the conference, as the conference is a private initiative in support of the Nigeria Police.
“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 further stated that the Conference has been a catalyst for police transformation and reforms.
“The Conference has been very impactful and has led to major transformations in the Police Force. One of the key takeaways from the Nigeria Police Conference and Retreat includes, among others, the establishment of the Police Institute in Abuja.
The company further stated that it later proposed the establishment of an annual 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 the company and its partners.
It also said Philips, described as a FIFA-licensed football agent, had maintained a longstanding working relationship with senior police officers through various projects.
The statement added that he 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 pandemic.
The company said that since the appointment, Philips had continued to support police initiatives without receiving payment, adding that some official trips he undertook alongside the immediate past Inspector-General of Police were self-funded.
Reaffirming its position, the firm described itself as a responsible corporate organisation. It said it had maintained cordial relations with the media since launching the Nigeria Pitch Awards at a world press conference in 2011.
“We have acted as a responsible corporate body by supporting the Government as best as we can. In furtherance of the desire to continue to motivate the officers and men of the Nigeria Police, we again proposed the idea of an annual Nigeria Police Awards and Commendations, which the police authorities embraced. Two editions of the awards have been held in 2024 and 2025 in Abuja. The awards have been fully sponsored by Lenders Consult International and our partners.
“Our MD/CEO, Dr. Shina Philips, has been a patriotic citizen and a FIFA-Licensed Agent who has handled the transfer of some Nigerian footballers. He has enjoyed a strong relationship with the former Inspectors-General of Police and the officers and men of the Nigeria Police Force while working on the Projects. He holds the Nigeria Police in very high esteem and is committed to partnering with them to make their job of policing Nigeria easy.
“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.
Crime
Nigerian Police Foil Bandit Attack in Sokoto, Recover Rocket Launchers
Nigerian Police Foil Bandit Attack in Sokoto, Recover Rocket Launchers
The Sokoto State Police Command has foiled an attempted bandit attack on Tsabre community in Isa Local Government Area, recovering two rocket launchers and other items abandoned by the fleeing attackers.
Eereporter.com
The incident occurred around 1am on Friday when the armed men reportedly invaded the village and opened sporadic gunfire, causing panic among residents.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Ahmad Rufa’i, disclosed this in a statement issued on Friday.
He said the Divisional Police Officer in Isa, upon receiving a distress call, immediately mobilised tactical teams, including operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit and Violent Crime Response Unit, to confront the attackers.
According to him, the police engaged the bandits in a gun battle, forcing them to retreat into a nearby forest.
“The tactical teams engaged the hoodlums in a fierce gun duel that lasted for some time. Due to the superior firepower and tactical positioning of the police operatives, the bandits were overpowered and forced to escape into the nearby forest with their casualties,” Rufa’i said.
He added that the police subsequently combed the surrounding bushes and recovered two rocket launchers and two empty AK-47 magazines.
Other items recovered included a Techno keypad phone without a battery, a touch light, an Army jungle hat, a sweater cap, five pairs of sandals and a rain jacket.
The Commissioner of Police, Hayatu Shaffa, commended the officers for their swift response and courage during the operation.
Shaffa reaffirmed the command’s commitment to protecting lives and property across the state.

Police
He also urged residents to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious persons and activities to the police.
The CP further appealed to residents to report anyone with suspected gunshot wounds seeking medical attention to the nearest police station, as efforts continue to track the fleeing attackers.
Eereporter.com
Crime
Nigerian Police Recover 28 Human Skulls, Bones From Abia Forest
Nigerian Police Recover 28 Human Skulls, Bones From Abia Forest
The Abia State Police Command says it has recovered 28 human skulls and other human bones from forests in the Isuochi and Nneato communities of Umunneochi Local Government Area of the state.
Eereporter.com
The command’s spokesperson, Maureen Chinaka, disclosed this in a statement following a security operation conducted on Sunday, September 27, 2026.
BBC reported on Monday, according to Chinaka, the operation was carried out under the command’s “Operation No Hideout for Criminal Elements in the State
” aimed at flushing out suspected criminals from the state.
She said the operation involved the Violent Crime Response Unit, Anti-Kidnapping Unit, Anti-Cultism Unit, Intelligence Response Unit, Rapid Response Squad and Isuochi Police Headquarters.
Chinaka said the operatives conducted intelligence-led raids on suspected criminal camps in forests around Umuaku, Isuochi, and another camp at Nneato, also in Isuochi.
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She said the suspected criminals fled when the police arrived, leaving the camps deserted.
“Upon arrival of the Command tactical operatives at the camps, the suspects ran. The criminal camps were subsequently scattered,” Chinaka said.
She said the remains were discovered while the operatives searched the suspected kidnappers’ camps.
“Total of twenty-eight (28) human skulls and bones, which we suspect are kidnap victims, were recovered,” she said.
She added that the command suspected the remains belonged to people who had been kidnapped and taken into the forest, but said investigations were ongoing.
No arrest has been made in connection with the discovery as the suspects reportedly fled before the arrival of the police.
“Investigation is ongoing, while monitoring of the area continues, and efforts are high to catch the suspects who are on the run,” Chinaka said.
Photographs and videos released by the police showed human skulls and bones scattered on the ground inside the forest.
The police said the operation formed part of its wider efforts to dismantle suspected criminal camps in the state.

Police
The Umunneochi area has previously featured in security operations targeting suspected kidnappers, with authorities in previous operations reporting the recovery of decomposing human remains in parts of the local government area.
The Abia State Police Command urged residents to report information that could assist security agencies in tackling criminal activities in the state.
Eereporter.com
Akwa Ibom
Akwa Ibom Police Arrest 40-Uear-Old Producer of Fake Dry Gin
Akwa Ibom Police Arrest 40-Uear-Old Producer of Fake Dry Gin
The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has arrested a 40-year-old man for alleged production and distribution of adulterated alcoholic beverages and recovered five cartons of suspected fake dry gin in Ikot Ekpene.
Eereporter.com
The suspect, identified as Ubong Ntiense, a native of Ibiaku Village in Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area and resident along Abak Road, was arrested on September 26, 2026, at about 1:45 pm by operatives of the command during a stop-and-search operation along Aba Road.
In a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Timfon John, made available to journalists on Monday, the police said the suspect was intercepted while allegedly conveying the products to Essien Udim Local Government Area for delivery.
The statement read, “The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has intensified its ongoing crackdown on the production, distribution and circulation of counterfeit and adulterated alcoholic beverages across the State, with the arrest of a 40-year-old man and the recovery of five cartons of suspected fake/adulterated dry gin in Ikot Ekpene.
“The suspect, identified as Ubong Ntiense, aged 40 years, a native of Ibiaku Village, Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area, and resident along Abak Road, was arrested on 26 September 2026 at about 1345 hours by operatives of the Command.”
The police said a thorough search led to the recovery of five cartons of suspected adulterated dry gin bearing the fake label, “Pointers Special Dry Gin”, with each carton containing 24 bottles, bringing the total to 120 bottles.
According to the police, the suspect and the recovered exhibits were taken to the station for preliminary investigation, where he allegedly confessed to being involved in the production of the fake alcoholic drinks.
The police spokesman said following his confession, operatives secured and executed a search warrant at his residence and premises, where substances and materials allegedly used in the production of the adulterated drinks were recovered as exhibits.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Baba Azare, directed that the investigation be conducted thoroughly and professionally, with a view to identifying other persons connected to the production and circulation of the counterfeit products.
The commissioner described the production and distribution of adulterated alcoholic beverages as a serious public safety concern, noting that unsuspecting members of the public may consume such products without knowledge of their contents or origin.

Police Arrests
He warned individuals, distributors, retailers and organised networks involved in the manufacture, transportation or sale of counterfeit drinks to desist immediately, stressing that the command would continue to deploy intelligence-led operations and surveillance to disrupt such activities.
The CP urged members of the public to exercise caution when purchasing alcoholic beverages and promptly report suspicious production or distribution activities to the police or relevant regulatory agencies.
Eereporter.com
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