Sunday August 31, 2025
By TheNewsDESK |
The Nigeria Police Force, NPF, has expressed deep sadness over the death of the 18th Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase.
A statement from the Force Headquarters confirmed that Arase died in the early hours of Sunday, August 31, 2025 at Cedarcrest Hospital, Abuja after a brief illness.
It said that the “news of the passing of Arase was officially communicated to IGP Kayode Egbetokun, through his first son, Mr Solomon Osabohien Arase”.
Meanwhile, IGP Kayode Egbetokun has visited the family of Arase and extended his heartfelt condolences on behalf of officers and men of the Nigeria Police Force, to the family, friends, and former colleagues of the late IGP Arase.
Investigations by TheNewsDESK revealed that Arase was flown into Nigeria in a coma from Morocco on Friday, after he allegedly suffered food poisoning at a wedding ceremony. Sources disclosed that there was hope of recovery in Saturday when he briefly regained consciousness, but he later relapsed and passed away this morning.
Arase, who became Nigeria’s 18th IGP, was later appointed as Chairman of the Police Service Commission, PSC. Before assuming the police top job, he led the Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Bureau, CIIB, the Force’s principal 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 December 1, 1981. He later obtained a Law degree from the University of Benin and a Master’s degree from the University of Lagos.
Throughout his policing career, he held several strategic roles, including Commissioner of Police, CP, in Akwa Ibom State and Assistant Inspector-General of Police overseeing intelligence. He also served in Namibia under a United Nations peacekeeping mission and was a Fellow of the Nigerian Defence Academy.
Arase retired from active service on June 21, 2016, upon attaining the statutory retirement age. In January 2023, he was appointed Chairman of the Police Service Commission, PSC, by then-President Muhammadu Buhari, a position he held until June 2024 when President Bola Tinubu relieved him of the post.