Former Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Solomon Arase has reportedly passed away at the age of 68. He died on Sunday in the early hours at Cedarcrest Hospital in Abuja. While the news has been widely reported by various sources, including SaharaReporters and Daily Trust, there has been no official confirmation from his family or the Nigeria Police Force as of press time. A family source indicated he died after a brief illness, with another police source suggesting he had been battling cancer and was flown into Abuja from Morocco, after attending a birthday in Europe.

Born on June 21, 1956, in Owan West Local Government Area of Edo State, Solomon Ehigiator Arase was a distinguished academic and professional. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Ahmadu Bello University in 1980, followed by a Law degree from the University of Benin. He furthered his education with an LL.M in Corporate Management and Finance Law from Lagos State University and a Master’s degree in Strategic Studies from the University of Ibadan. He was also a Fellow of the National Defence College (fdc).

Arase joined the Nigeria Police Force on December 1, 1981, embarking on a career that spanned over three decades and covered operations, investigation, administration, and intelligence. He held several strategic roles, including principal staff officer to former IGPs. He served as Commissioner of Police in Akwa Ibom State and later as Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of intelligence, notably heading the Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Bureau, the police force’s apex intelligence unit. His international service included a stint in Namibia as part of a United Nations peacekeeping mission. He was also a recipient of the National Police Medal (NPM).

In April 2015, Arase was appointed Nigeria’s 18th Inspector-General of Police by then-President Goodluck Jonathan and was confirmed as substantive IGP in May 2015. During his tenure, which lasted until his retirement in June 2016, he introduced significant reforms aimed at professionalizing the force. These included the formation of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) to tackle high-profile crimes and the establishment of the Complaint Response Unit (CRU) to address police misconduct. He also improved forensic capacity, promoted community policing, emphasized human rights and accountability, vowed to dismantle roadblocks, prioritized officer welfare, and was involved in election security reforms.

Even after his retirement from the police, Arase continued to contribute to security and governance. He chaired a task force in Edo State to implement anti-Community Development Association laws and engaged in security consultancy and legal practice. He also contributed to international bodies like the Committee on Prevention of Torture in Geneva. In January 2023, he was appointed Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC) by former President Muhammadu Buhari, where he advocated for merit-based recruitment, transparency, and professionalization of the force. He was relieved of this position in June 2024 by President Bola Tinubu. Until his passing, he served as National Legal Adviser of the Alumni Association of the National Defence College (AANDEC) and remained active in security discourse and education.

Beyond his policing career, Dr. Arase was committed to youth development through the Solomon Ehigiator Arase Foundation (SEAF). The foundation provided scholarships in diverse fields such as medicine, engineering, law, and security studies, with a particular focus on the children of deceased police officers and students from underserved communities. He was a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), the International Bar Association (IBA), and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA). Arase is survived by his family and leaves behind a legacy of dedicated service and reform.