Retired Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of Operations, Ari Mohammed Ali, weekend, stated that he retired meritoriously from the force and was not discharged over any allegations.

A statement from his media aid, Ibrahim Anas Alemani, said stories going round that he was discharged from the force over allegations of age falsification and violation of service rules are completely misleading and a deliberate attempt to soil his good name and dent his incredible records.

According to him, the retired DIG served meritoriously without blemish and built his career in the force as a distinguished police officer.

The statement said: “He served in various capacities in the Nigeria Police Force excellently and would not want to be drawn into such malicious and mischievous publication. However, to avoid any doubt and for the public and his supporters not to be misled, it is important to put the record straight.

“DIG Ari Mohammed Ari (rtd) was enlisted into the Nigeria Police Force on the 3rd of March 1990 as a member of course 16 cadet ASP. He trained in the Elite Police Academy in Kaduna State. He served in various capacities in the Police Force, during which he won numerous awards due to his dedication and leadership style. He served in the Delta, Bayelsa, Lagos, Rivers, Kano State Commands, and also served in the Police Staff College Jos.

“DIG Ari Mohammed Ari (rtd) served as the Deputy Commissioner of Police Operations in Lagos State for three years, during which he won the Security Watch Africa Award of Excellence as the Best Operations Officer in African security in the year 2018. While serving in Delta State Command as the 20th Commissioner of Police from the year 2021 to the year 2023, the state became one of the safest states in Nigeria. "He was promoted to the rank of an Assistant Inspector General of Police in the year 2023 and posted to Zone 2, Lagos State as the AIG Zone 2. He was later deployed to Force Headquarters as the AIG Community Policing in January 2024, where he served diligently until his posting to Kano State as the AIG Zone 1 Kano, where he served the good people of Kano State as he has always done during his Policing career.

“He was promoted to the rank of Deputy Inspector General of Police on the 24th November 2024 and posted as the Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of Operations Department, Police Force Headquarters, Abuja from where he retired after attaining the mandatory 60 years in age and 35 years in service to the force.

“DIG Ari Mohammed Ari (rtd) won the National association of Crime Reporters Award as the most outstanding Commissioner of Police of the year 2021. He also won the Africa security watch conference Award of the most outstanding crime bursting Police chief in West Africa that took place in Banjul in d year 2022.”

“It is pertinent to reiterate that DIG Ari Mohammed Ari (rtd) who is PhD holder from Irish University, Penbroke Square United kingdom, was enlisted on the 3rd of March 1990 and retired meritoriously on the 1st of March 2025,” the statement added.