Ex-IG Arase dies in Abuja
A former Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase, is dead, Daily Trust has learnt. He was said to have passed away at Cedar Crest Hospital, Abuja, in the early hours of Sunday. His family and the Nigeria Police Force are yet to issue official statements to confirm the development But a family source, who wailed while […]
A former Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase, is dead, Daily Trust has learnt.
He was said to have passed away at Cedar Crest Hospital, Abuja, in the early hours of Sunday.
His family and the Nigeria Police Force are yet to issue official statements to confirm the development
But a family source, who wailed while confiding in Daily Trust, explained he died after a brief illness.
Also, a former aide of the deceased, who spoke off the record confirmed the news.
He was reportedly flown into the country from France where he had attended his wife’s birthday.
“This is a huge loss! Oga was battling cancer. He had done a series of tests and underwent treatments , then got fed up and was prepared for the future.
“He was flown into Abuja from Morocco, having earlier attended a birthday in Europe,” a police source told Daily Trust.
Born on 21 June 1956, Arase graduated with a degree in Political Science from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, in 1980 before enlisting into the Nigeria Police Force in 1981.
He later earned an LL.B from the University of Benin and an LL.M in Corporate Management and Finance Law from Lagos State University.
He also held a Master’s degree in Strategic Studies from the University of Ibadan and was a Fellow of the National Defence College (fdc).
A recipient of the National Police Medal (NPM), Arase was widely respected for his academic and professional credentials.
Over the course of his career, he served in key departments of the Force, including Operations, Investigations, Administration and Intelligence.
He once headed the Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Bureau, the apex intelligence arm of the Force.
Arase was also part of Nigeria’s police contingent to the United Nations Mission in Namibia, reflecting his international exposure.
He was a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), the International Bar Association (IBA), and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).
Until his passing, he served as National Legal Adviser of the Alumni Association of the National Defence College (AANDEC).
Arase was appointed the 18th Inspector-General of Police in April 2015 by then-President Goodluck Jonathan and retired in 2016.
He chaired the Police Service Commission (PSC) from January 2023 to June 2024 when President Bola Tinubu appointed Hashimu Argungu, a retired Deputy Inspector-General of Police as head of the commission.