|By Adejumo Adekunle
Nigeria has lost one of its most decorated police chiefs, Solomon Ehigiator Arase, who died on August 31, 2025, at the age of 69.
Born on June 21, 1956, in Owan West Local Government Area of Edo State, Arase carved his name into Nigeria’s security history as a career police officer, intelligence chief, lawyer, and statesman.
Arase joined the Nigeria Police Force on December 1, 1981, a year after graduating with a degree in Political Science from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. He later earned a Law degree from the University of Benin and a Master’s degree from the University of Lagos, sharpening both his intellectual and operational credentials.
Within the force, he rose steadily through the ranks, commanding units and states. He served as Commissioner of Police in Akwa Ibom State, Principal Secretary to former IGP Tarfa Balogun, and later headed the Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Bureau (CIIB)—the Police’s elite intelligence arm.
In 2015, after the removal of Suleiman Abba, President Goodluck Jonathan appointed Arase the 18th Inspector-General of Police. His tenure witnessed both reformist efforts and crises, notably the Agatu Massacre in Benue State, where he personally led an on-ground assessment of the destruction wrought by armed herdsmen. He retired on June 21, 2016, after 35 years of service.
Beyond the force, Arase expanded his influence in law, security consultancy, and governance. He worked with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the European Centre for Electoral Support, and the University of Oslo’s Human Rights Centre. He also lent his expertise to the Committee on the Prevention of Torture in Geneva, which is developing a universal protocol on investigative techniques.
In Edo State, he chaired a task force implementing the Anti-Community Development Association Law, and nationally, he returned to prominence when President Muhammadu Buhari appointed him Chairman of the Police Service Commission in January 2023. Later that year, Buhari also decorated him with the national honour of Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR).
Arase’s career also extended to the international stage. He was a Fellow of the Nigerian Defence Academy and served in Namibia under a United Nations peacekeeping mission, underscoring his global security credentials.
Until his passing, Arase remained deeply engaged in legal practice, public speaking, and research, offering his voice on security sector reform and the future of policing in Nigeria.
