Former Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Solomon Arase has passed away at Cedarcrest Hospital in Abuja.
As of press time, neither his family nor the Nigeria Police Force has issued an official statement confirming the development.
Arase, Nigeria’s 18th IGP, was later appointed Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC).
Before his elevation, he led the Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Bureau, the police force’s top intelligence arm.
Born on June 21, 1956, in Owan West Local Government Area of Edo State, Arase earned a degree in Political Science from Ahmadu Bello University in 1980 and joined the Nigeria Police Force on 1 December 1981.
He later acquired a Law degree from the University of Benin and a Master’s degree from the University of Lagos.
Throughout his career, he served in several critical roles, including Commissioner of Police in Akwa Ibom State, Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of intelligence, and a United Nations peacekeeping officer in Namibia.
He was also a Fellow of the Nigerian Defence Academy.
Arase retired from the police on 21 June 2016, upon reaching the mandatory retirement age.
In January 2023, former President Muhammadu Buhari appointed him Chairman of the Police Service Commission, a position he held until June 2024, when President Bola Tinubu removed him from office.
(Sahara Reporters)
