Former IGP Solomon Arase passes away in Abuja

Nigeria has lost one of its most respected law enforcement figures, former Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Solomon Arase. He reportedly passed away at Cedarcrest Hospital in Abuja.

As of the time of this report, neither his family members nor the Nigeria Police Force had released an official statement confirming the sad development.

Arase, who served as the country’s 18th Inspector-General of Police, later went on to chair the Police Service Commission (PSC). Before his appointment as IGP, he held several key positions, including heading the Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Bureau — the intelligence backbone of the Force.

Born on June 21, 1956, in Owan West Local Government Area of Edo State, Arase earned a degree in Political Science from Ahmadu Bello University in 1980 and joined the Nigeria Police Force on December 1, 1981. He later obtained a Law degree from the University of Benin and a Master’s degree from the University of Lagos.

Throughout his policing career, he held several strategic roles, including Commissioner of Police in Akwa Ibom State and Assistant Inspector-General of Police overseeing intelligence. He also served in Namibia under a United Nations peacekeeping mission and was a Fellow of the Nigerian Defence Academy.

Arase retired from active service on June 21, 2016, upon attaining the statutory retirement age. In January 2023, he was appointed Chairman of the Police Service Commission by then-President Muhammadu Buhari, a position he held until June 2024 when President Bola Tinubu relieved him of the post.