Arase, Top Cop, Goes Home

The decease of Solomon Ehigiator Arase, erstwhile Inspector General of Police, is so a large nonaccomplishment to the country. His contributions to transgression warring didn’t spell unnoticed during an illustrious vocation that saw him emergence to the pinnacle arsenic the country’s fig 1 cop. As Inspector General of Police (IGP), his tenure witnessed a revamped Nigeria Police Force, earning him a estimation arsenic a detective par excellence and a transgression fighter.

Arase was not conscionable a accepted policeman; helium was besides a student and writer with a doctorate successful instrumentality from the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, successful Edo State. He besides earned postgraduate and postgraduate degrees successful governmental science, firm management, concern instrumentality and strategical studies, truthful cementing his spot arsenic 1 of the fewer inspectors wide of constabulary with specified scholarly inclination successful the annals of the Nigerian Police Force. He led the constabulary with foresight, arsenic evident successful immoderate notable reforms witnessed during his tenure.

He was a quality rights advocate. It was helium who mandated that the constabulary cannot hunt the phones of citizens without due authorisation successful enactment with Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, arsenic amended, that guarantees “The privateness of citizens, their homes, correspondence, telephone conversations and telegraphic communications. The quality rights assemblage successful Nigeria applauded this move. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) described him arsenic “someone whose dedication to justice, dignity, and work inspired a caller procreation of quality rights defenders and information professionals.”

As a newspaper, we recognise his invaluable contributions to nationalist improvement arsenic a erstwhile inspector wide of constabulary and president of the Police Service Commission. For example, helium established the Police Complaint Response Unit (CRU), a captious mechanics to code nationalist grievances and heighten constabulary accountability. He besides enforced intelligence-led policing, which emphasised probe earlier arrest, successful enactment with the law presumption of innocence.

He continued successful the aforesaid manner arsenic the president of the Police Service Commission, wherever helium championed transparency and merit-based recruitment into the Nigerian Police Force to code the lopsidedness successful recruitment into the police. This indicated his scholarly disposition towards improving the batch of the Nigerian Police Force. This overmuch we place with connected the request for a nonrecreational constabulary unit that conforms with planetary champion practices successful policing.

His decease is simply a large nonaccomplishment to the state and the media community. His narration with the media was robust and cordial, and, connected respective occasions, helium described the media arsenic worthy partners successful entrenching accountability and nation-building. In its tribute, the Crime Reporters Association of Nigeria (CRAN) described him arsenic “a good officer, a visionary reformer, and supra all, a mentor and person to journalists, peculiarly those covering the transgression and information beat.”

The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) besides described him arsenic “an exceptional and exemplary cop, a reformer, and a uncommon breed of serviceman who believed that policing should beryllium astir service, trust, and legitimacy, not intimidation.”

As a newspaper, we articulation millions of Nigerians successful mourning the passing of a superb bull whose tenures arsenic inspector wide of Police and president of the constabulary work committee were singular successful the annals of the institutions. He brought to carnivore his intellect and planetary vulnerability successful the discharge of his duties successful work to the nation. His beingness was besides felt successful communities done the Mercy Igbe Arase Foundation and the Solomon Ehigiator Arase Foundation, which were established to foster acquisition excellence and assemblage development.

The foundations person impacted lives positively. Over 50 indigent students from respective communities successful Edo authorities graduated with degrees from tertiary institutions successful law, medicine and different notable disciplines. Notable among the beneficiaries is the 15-year-old girl of 1 of his home workers from Katsina state, whose parents were readying to instrumentality her to Katsina authorities to get married. She was enrolled successful a boarding school, passed her exams with flying colours, and was admitted to survey astatine the Ambrose Alli University successful Edo State, wherever she graduated with a grade successful Economics. The foundations assistance strategy was besides extended to children of deceased constabulary officers of the Inspectorate cadre and different ranks who died successful the enactment of duty, and are indigenes of the 7 section authorities areas of Edo South Senatorial District.

This paper identifies with the beingness and times of Solomon Ehigiator Arase (1956-2025). He lived an exemplary beingness arsenic a bull and arsenic a backstage citizen. His favored task impacted the lives of indigent radical exte...