KEY POINTS
- Solomon Arase, Nigeria’s 18th Indigenous IGP, died on August 31 at 69.
- Current IGP Kayode Egbetokun led tributes at Force Headquarters, Abuja.
- Police flag to fly at half-mast across all Commands and Formations.
The Nigeria Police Force has set up a condolence book at its headquarters in Abuja to honor Solomon Arase, the 18th Indigenous Inspector-General of Police, who died on August 31 at the age of 69.
The registry was overseen by Inspector-General Kayode Egbetokun, who had high-ranking officials and staff sign it. He dubbed the dead police chief a “towering figure” who altered how the police work in Nigeria. In his honor, the police flag will be at half-mast at all commands and formations around the country.
Arase’s biography
Arase had been a police officer for more than 30 years, which gave him a lot of real-world experience and made him quite smart. He was born in Edo State in 1956 and then went to Ahmadu Bello University to study politics. After that, he traveled to the University of Benin to earn his law degree. He earned master’s degrees in law, political science, and strategic studies from the Nigerian Defense Academy and the University of Lagos.
Arase joined the police service in 1981 and worked his way up through crucial roles. For example, he was responsible for operations as an Assistant Inspector-General, led the Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Bureau, and was a member of the UN peacekeeping force in Namibia.
Police Complaints Response Unit and the Intelligence Response Team
He became Inspector-General in April 2015, which was the start of a new era. To deal with concerns, Arase set up the Police Complaints Response Unit and the Intelligence Response Team. He also made forensic science work better. He also wants the cops to work with the people. Aranse also made it against the law for police to search phones without authorization and set up mechanisms that made their jobs simpler. Civil rights activists liked this option.
His good deeds
From 2023 until 2024, Arase was the chairman of the Police Service Commission. He quit his job in 2016. He ran for office on a platform of being honest and hiring people based on their skills. Through his Solomon Arase Empowerment Foundation, he aided the families of police officers who died and paid for their children’s schooling.
The condolence register in Abuja is the first public homage to a leader who is known for being honest, assisting others, and making a difference in Nigerian policing.
