A former Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Solomon Ehigiator Arase, has died earlier today Sunday.
Edo State-born Arase reportedly gave up the ghost at the Cedacrest Hospital, Abuja, this morning after suffering from an undisclosed ailment.
Born in 1956, Arase served as the 18th Inspector General of Nigerian Police Force between April 2015 and 21 June 2016.
Prior to serving as IGP, he had worked in different capacities, including working as the Head of the Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Bureau; Commissioner of Police in Akwa Ibom State, Assistant Inspector-General of Police, and in Namibia during the United Nations Peacekeeping Operation.
The late President Muhammadu Buhari appointed him as the Chairman of the Police Service Commission in January 2023, and President Bola Tinubu relieved him of the post on June 23, 2024.
He was a seasoned police officer and lawyer whose career spanned over three decades of service to Nigeria.
Born on 21 June 1956, Arase graduated with a degree in Political Science from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, in 1980 before enlisting into the Nigeria Police Force in 1981.
He later earned an LL.B from the University of Benin and an LL.M in Corporate Management and Finance Law from Lagos State University.
He also held a Master’s degree in Strategic Studies from the University of Ibadan and was a Fellow of the National Defence College (fdc).
A recipient of the National Police Medal (NPM), Arase was widely respected for his academic and professional credentials.
He once headed the Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Bureau, the apex intelligence arm of the Force.
Arase was also part of Nigeria’s police contingent to the United Nations Mission in Namibia, reflecting his international exposure.
He was a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), the International Bar Association (IBA), and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).
Until his passing, he served as National Legal Adviser of the Alumni Association of the National Defence College (AANDEC).
Arase was appointed the 18th Inspector-General of Police in April 2015 by then-President Goodluck Jonathan and retired in 2016.
He later chaired the Police Service Commission (PSC) from January 2023 to June 2024.
