Former Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Solomon Arase has died at Cedarcrest Hospital in Abuja.
As of the time of filing this report, neither his family nor the Nigeria Police Force has released an official statement confirming his passing.
Arase, who was Nigeria’s 18th Inspector-General of Police, later served as Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC).
Before his appointment as IGP, he headed the Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Bureau, the top intelligence arm of the Nigeria Police Force.
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. He 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 career, Arase held several key positions, including Commissioner of Police in Akwa Ibom State and Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of intelligence.
He also represented Nigeria abroad, serving in Namibia as part of a United Nations peacekeeping mission, and was a Fellow of the Nigerian Defence Academy.
Arase retired from the Police on June 21, 2016, after reaching the mandatory retirement age.
In January 2023, he was appointed as Chairman of the Police Service Commission by the late President Muhammadu Buhari. However, in June 2024, he was removed from the position by President Bola Tinubu.
