Solomon Ehigiator Arase at 61, An Intellectual, A True Officer and Gentleman.

It would be an understatement to say that the 18^th indigenous Inspector General of Police, Solomon Ehigiator Arase is an intellectual, an officer and a gentleman who also scored high marks and dusted many even at the National Defence College where military officers hitherto held sway.

The towering intelligence and investigation guru while in the Nigerian Police force, not only touched many lives; he is still touching lives even out of office.

To many, this selflessness is born out of his humble background which is spiced with hard work and good upbringing. All thanks to his parents.

Born June 21, 1956 in Sapele, Delta State, Arase hails from Oredo Local Government Area of Edo state.

Arase Ehigiator Solomon rose from the rank of the Divisional Crime Officer of Police between 1982-1984 to the position of the Inspector-General of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).

Solomon Arase who is a lawyer by profession, assumed office as the Inspector-General of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) on April 21, 2015 after former President, Goodluck Jonathan sacked his former boss, Suleiman Abba that same year.

To many, he’s a born conqueror due to the many battles he’s won either as the Inspector-General of Police or before he assumed the position.

A peep into Arase’s life at 61 as an Inspector-General of Police as well as a lawyer, shows that an ‘extreme selflessness’ dots every step of the 18th Inspector-General of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).

Arase is a proud alumni of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State (1980) where he earned his first degree, a Bachelor of Science in Political Science; he got his second degree, a Bachelor of Law (LL.B) from University of Benin, Edo State in 1998.

Arase proceeded to the Nigerian Law School, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory where he qualified as a Barrister At Law (BL) in 2001, his third degree was a Master in Law (LL.M) from Lagos State University, Lagos State in 2004 and his fourth academic degree was a Master of Strategic Studies (MSS) from University of Ibadan, Oyo State in 2009.

Arase is also a Fellow of the National Defence College (fdc). He has travelled to and studied in many countries, including the National Executive Session on Policing and Public Safety at Harvard Kennedy School, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA in 2011 and 2013.

Arase has a Bachelor of Law (LL.B) and Master in Law (LL.M) from the University of Benin and Lagos State University respectively. Arase attended the Nigerian Law School, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory where he qualified as a Barrister at Law (BL) in 2001.

As an Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) he served as the Head of the Force Intelligence Bureau (FIB) where he undertook landmark reform and restructuring initiatives including the establishment of the Gender Unit and the successful sourcing of a three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000) grant from the Ford Foundation to enhance the operations of the Gender Unit.

Arase succeeded in establishing a state-of-the-art technical intelligence platform which has today restored the primacy of the Bureau as the most strategic intelligence agency in the internal security architecture of the country.

During his tenure as the Head of the Criminal Intelligence and Investigations Department (FCIID) of the Force, Arase worked in close collaboration with United Nations Office on Drug and Crime to establish a Case Tracking and Analysis Unit while also introducing and enforcing a Pre-Trial Detention Policy which ensured that cases of arbitrary detentions were discouraged in the Department.

Arase was enlisted into the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) on December 1, 1981 after graduating from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, in 1980, with a degree in Political Science. He served in various departments of the Force including Operations, Investigation, Administration and Intelligence.

Arase was part of the Nigeria Police contingent to the United Nations Mission in Namibia and he is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), the International Bar Association (IBA) and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).

Arase was the Divisional Crime Officer (DCO) of the Nigeria Police, Abuja, FCT (1982-1984), Unit Commander (PMF) 21PMF Abuja, FCT (1984 – 1988), Intelligence Officer Criminal Intelligence Bureau (CIB), the Nigeria Police, Edo State Command (1988-1989), District Commander, United Nations Transitional Assistance Group (UNTAG), Namibia United Nations Peace Keeping Mission (Otjiwarago and Oshakati) Namibia (1989-1990).

 He was the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), the Nigeria Police, Benin-City, Edo State (1990-1992),  Staff Officer (Training), the Nigeria Police, Directorate of Training, FHQ (Annex), Lagos (1992-1996).

Detective (Bank/Corporate Fraud), the Nigeria Police, Force CID, FCID, (Annex) Alagbon, Lagos (1996-2002), Principal Staff Officer to the Inspector -General of Police (PSO), the Nigeria Police, Force Headquarters, Abuja (2002 -2008) DCP, State CID, Panti-Yaba, Lagos, the Nigeria Police, Lagos State Command (2009- 11).

 Commissioner of Police, ICT, Force Headquarters, Abuja. The Nigeria Police, FHQ, Abuja (March 2011 – August 2011). Commissioner of Police, Akwa Ibom State Command, Uyo.

The Nigeria Police, Akwa Ibom State Command (August 2011-March 2012) Assistant Inspector-General of Police Force Intelligence Bureau, The Nigeria Police, FHQ, Abuja (March 2012-August 2014).

Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Force Criminal Intelligence & Investigations Dept. (FCIID) Nigeria Police Force, FHQ, Abuja August 2014. He was appointed the Inspector General of Police on April 21, 2015 after the sack of former IGP Suleiman Abba by then President, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.

Arase’s Landmark Achievements/ Assignments In Nigeria Police Force Arase was a member of the Failed Bank Inquiry set up by the Federal Government to investigate the massive fraud in the Nigerian Banking Sector in the early ‘90s as well as member of the Special Homicide Investigation Team into the murder of Late Bola Ige, the then Minister of Justice in 2002.

He was the Secretary, Alhaji M. Danmadami-led Presidential Committee on Nigeria Police Reform 2006.

Arase served as the Principal Staff Officer (PSO) to three successive Inspectors General of Police (i.e. Messrs Mustafa Adebayo Balogun, Sunday Gabriel Ehindeiro and Mike Mbama Okiro) between 2002 and 2008.

Member, Nigeria Police Committee on Review of the Nigerian Constitution/Police Act 2009. Restoration of professional excellence and high investigative, documentation and prosecution standards in State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Lagos State Police Command as the Deputy Commissioner of Police/Head of the Department.

Won several awards/commendation letter from Attorney-General of Lagos State for these initiatives (2009-2010). Enhancement of operational efficiency, introduction of innovative anti-crime strategies, motivation of personnel, and inter-agency coordination as Commissioner of Police, Akwa Ibom State Command leading to drastic reduction in high level crimes including kidnappings and armed robberies which were associated with the Akwa Ibom State prior to my deployment to the State (2011-2012).

Re-organization, re-focusing, development of technical intelligence operational platform, and facilitation of inter-agency intelligence sharing framework leading to the restoration of the lost primacy of the Nigeria Police Force Intelligence Bureau and advancement of the concept and practice of intelligence-led policing as a tool towards internal security management, and policing within the dictates of rule of law (2012).

Establishment of a Nigeria Police Intelligence School in Enugu and commencement of construction of Force Intelligence Institute in Share, Kwara State to train strategic intelligence managers and mid-level/junior intelligence operatives.

This is a landmark achievement as it represents the first time in the nearly 100 years history of the Nigeria Police Force that institutions dedicated exclusively to the training of intelligence officers of the Force would be established in Nigeria (2013).

 Arase won the award for Best Essay on Internal Security at the National Defence College, Abuja in 2008.

He received letter of Commendation for Professional Competence, Human Rights Observance and Facilitation of Criminal Justice Administration Lagos State Attorney-General& Commissioner for Justice in 2009.

In 2013, Arase received Commendation Letter for Innovative Leadership from the Inspector-General of Police. That same year, Arase received the National Police Medal from the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.

Arase is married and blessed with lovely children one of his daughters got married this year. After retiring from the Nigeria Police Force on June 21, 2016 from a career spanning over 33 years, Arase took up a new engagement recently with his state government.

Currently, Arase is the Chairman, Overseeing Community Development Associations in Edo state under the administration of Godwin Obaseki. He is a doctor of law from Edo State University Ekpoma.