Former Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Solomon Arase, has died. He passed away at Cedarcrest Hospital in Abuja, though details surrounding his death remain sketchy as neither his family nor the Nigeria Police Force has issued an official confirmation as of the time of filing this report.
Arase, who served as Nigeria’s 18th Inspector-General of Police, was later appointed Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC). A distinguished officer, he was widely respected for his expertise in intelligence and policing reforms.
Born on June 21, 1956, in Owan West Local Government Area of Edo State, Arase studied Political Science at Ahmadu Bello University, graduating in 1980, before joining the Nigeria Police Force on December 1, 1981. He later earned a Law degree from the University of Benin and a Master’s degree from the University of Lagos.
During his decades-long career, he rose through the ranks, heading the Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Bureau, the police force’s top intelligence unit. He also served as Commissioner of Police in Akwa Ibom State, Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of intelligence, and participated in a United Nations peacekeeping mission in Namibia.
Arase retired from the Police Force on June 21, 2016, upon attaining the mandatory retirement age. In January 2023, the late President Muhammadu Buhari appointed him Chairman of the Police Service Commission, a role he held until June 2024, when President Bola Tinubu removed him from office.
Tributes are expected to pour in from colleagues, associates, and Nigerians who remember him for his service to the nation’s security architecture.
