CITIZENS COMPASS—The former Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Solomon Arase, is dead.
Until his death, Arase was the former chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC).
He died at Cedarcrest Hospital in Abuja, though details about the circumstances surrounding his death were sketchy at press time.
Arase, served as the18th Inspector-General of Police between April 2015 and June 2016.
The late President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, later appointed Arase in January 2023 as chairman of the Police Service Commission before the sitting President, President Bola Tinubu relieved him of the role in June 2024.
Born on June 21, 1956, in Owan West Local Government Area of Edo State, Arase obtained a degree in Political Science from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, in 1980. He joined the Nigeria Police Force a year later, on December 1, 1981, and went on to further his education, earning a Law degree from the University of Benin and a Master’s degree from the University of Lagos.
Before his appointment as IGP, he headed the Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Bureau, the elite intelligence arm of the Police. He also served in various capacities, including Commissioner of Police in Akwa Ibom State and Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Intelligence.
Arase also had an international stint, participating in a United Nations peacekeeping mission in Namibia. A Fellow of the Nigerian Defence Academy, he was widely respected for his experience and contributions to policing in Nigeria.
He retired from the Force on June 21, 2016, after reaching the mandatory retirement age.
In a statement on Sunday by his son, Solomon Arase Jnr., the family said the former IGP died on Sunday, August 31, 2025, at Cedercrest Hospital, Abuja, after a brief illness.
“The Arase family of Benin-City, Edo State, hereby announces the passage of Solomon Ehigiator Arase, Former Inspector General of Police.
He passed on at about 9 a.m. on Sunday 31st August 2025, at the Cedercrest Hospital, Abuja, after a brief illness.
“He was aged 69,” the statement read in part. The family described him as a man who served the country with distinction, noting that after his retirement as the 18th Inspector-General of Police, he went on to serve as Chairman of the Police Service Commission and was also a member of the Body of Benchers
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