Former Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Solomon Ehigiator Arase, has been confirmed dead in Abuja at the age of 69. He reportedly passed away on Sunday at Cedarcrest Hospital, though official confirmation from his family and the Nigeria Police Force was still pending as of the time of this report.
Born on June 21, 1956, in Owan West Local Government Area of Edo State, Arase rose through the ranks to become Nigeria’s 18th Inspector-General of Police, serving between April 2015 and June 2016. His service in the Force spanned over three decades, beginning on December 1, 1981, after earning a degree in Political Science from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
He later obtained a Law degree from the University of Benin and a Master’s degree in Law from the University of Lagos, further solidifying his professional background. Throughout his career, he led several key units and operations, serving as Commissioner of Police in Akwa Ibom State and Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Intelligence.
Arase also served internationally under the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Namibia. A Fellow of the Nigerian Defence Academy, he was widely recognised for his expertise in intelligence and criminal investigation, especially during his tenure as head of the Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Bureau, the Force’s elite intelligence unit.
Following his retirement on June 21, 2016, he was appointed Chairman of the Police Service Commission in January 2023 by former President Muhammadu Buhari, before being removed in June 2024 by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Until his death, Dr. Arase remained a respected figure in Nigeria’s security landscape, remembered for his reform-driven leadership within the Police Force and his contributions to policing intelligence both in Nigeria and internationally.
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