Nigeria’s Former Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, Dies @69

By Barth Ikiebe

Nigeria’s former Inspector-General of Police, IGP Solomon Arase, is dead, at the age of 69 years old.

The 18th Inspector-General of Police of Nigeria served as the Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC) after his retirement from the force.

Arase died on Sunday at a private clinic in Abuja and surrounded by family and friends.

At the time of filing this report, the Nigeria Police Force and the family are yet to issue official statements confirming the development.

However, some top shots in the Nigeria Police Force confirmed the death of Arase.

One of them said the news had been posted on the Whatsapp platforms to which some top Police officers belong.

Before becoming IGP, he headed the Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Bureau, the Force 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 obtained a Law degree from the University of Benin as well as a Master’s degree from the University of Lagos.

During his career, he held several key positions, including Commissioner of Police in Akwa Ibom State and Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Intelligence.

He also served 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.

Arase was appointed as the Chairman of the Police Service Commission in January 2023 by the late President Muhammadu Buhari and was removed from office by President Bola Tinubu in June 2024.