Former inspector general of police (IGP) Solomon Arase has died at the age of 68.
He died on Sunday at Cedarcrest Hospital in Abuja.
Mr Arase, who was Nigeria’s 18th inspector general of police, was appointed in April 2015 by then-President Goodluck Jonathan.
He retired in June 2016 after reaching the statutory retirement age.
Born on June 21, 1956, in Owan West Local Government Area of Edo State, the former IGP studied political science at Ahmadu Bello University, graduating in 1980.
He joined the Nigeria Police Force on December 1, 1981.
He later earned a law degree from the University of Benin, an LL.M in corporate management and finance law from Lagos State University and a master’s degree in strategic studies from the University of Ibadan.
He was also a fellow of the National Defence College.
Arase held several strategic roles during his career, including principal staff officer to former IGPs, commissioner of police in Akwa Ibom State and assistant inspector general of police in charge of intelligence.
He once headed the Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Bureau, the police’s apex intelligence arm.
Internationally, he represented Nigeria in the United Nations Mission in Namibia.
He was also a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the International Bar Association and the Nigerian Bar Association.
After retiring from the police, Arase continued to contribute to security and governance.
In January 2023, former President Muhammadu Buhari appointed him chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC).
He held the role until June 2024 when President Bola Tinubu removed him.
During his time as IGP, he introduced initiatives such as the Intelligence Response Team, the Complaint Response Unit to address misconduct and the Safer Highway Patrols to secure major roads.
He was also involved in election security reforms.
Beyond policing, Arase founded the Solomon Ehigiator Arase Foundation (SEAF), which awards scholarships to Nigerian students.
In 2025, the foundation supported 29 beneficiaries across disciplines such as medicine, engineering, law and political science, with a focus on children of late police officers and students from underserved communities.
Arase also ran a law firm, worked as a security consultant and trainer and served as national legal adviser of the Alumni Association of the National Defence College.
In October 2022, he participated as a panelist at the Annual General Conference of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) in Lagos, where he spoke on challenges affecting credible elections in Nigeria.
Until his death, he remained active in security discourse and education.
He is survived by his family.
