Former Police IG, Solomon Arase is dead

Former Police IG, Solomon Arase is dead

 Former Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Solomon Ehigiator
Arase has passed away at Cedarcrest Hospital in Abuja.

 

Arase, who served as Nigeria’s 18th Inspector-General of
Police, was later appointed Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC).

 

Before becoming IGP, he headed the Force Criminal
Intelligence and Investigation Bureau, the police force’s top intelligence
unit.

 

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, and joined 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.

 

Throughout his distinguished career, he served in several
strategic positions, including Principal Staff Officer to former IGPs,
Commissioner of Police in Akwa Ibom State, and Assistant Inspector-General of
Police in charge of intelligence. He also represented Nigeria in Namibia under
a United Nations peacekeeping mission and was a Fellow of the Nigerian Defence
Academy.

 

Arase retired from the Force on June 21, 2016, upon reaching
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.

 

He was widely respected for his dedication to police welfare
and his reform-driven leadership. During his tenure, he introduced major
initiatives such as the Intelligence Response Team, the Complaint Response Unit
to address police misconduct, and the Safer Highway Patrols, which improved
security for travelers across the country. Even after retiring, he continued to
contribute to policing reforms, particularly in election security and
neutrality.

 

Beyond policing, Arase was committed to education, youth
empowerment, and social impact. Through the Solomon Ehigiator Arase Foundation
(SEAF), he supported academic excellence by awarding scholarships to
outstanding Nigerian students, with particular focus on children of deceased
police officers and students from underserved communities.

 

In 2025, SEAF awarded scholarships to 29 beneficiaries
across diverse disciplines including Medicine, Dentistry, Engineering,
Criminology, Political Science, and Business Administration. The Foundation said
the initiative reflects the values of integrity, service, and excellence that
defined Arase’s career.

 

The scholarship programme, it added, is not merely financial
support but an investment in Nigeria’s future leaders and an effort to build a
more just and equitable society.

 

The ceremony marking this year’s award was filled with
messages of hope and calls for sustained commitment to education and
empowerment, especially for disadvantaged groups.

 

Arase is remembered as a principled leader, reformer, and
patriot who left a lasting imprint on Nigeria’s security and development
landscape.

Source: Former Police IG, Solomon Arase is dead

 - NigerianEye

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