From Service to Immortality: The Enduring Legacy of an Uncommon Police Officer – Dr. Solomon E. Arase, IGP (rtd), CFR, NPM, fdc
By: Ogbonnaya Nwota, PhD.
“His life was gentle, and the elements so mixed in him that Nature might stand up and say to all the world, ‘This was a man.” William Shakespeare
In the storied chronicles of Nigerian policing, few names echo with the quiet majesty and enduring gravitas of Dr. Solomon E. Arase, the eighteenth indigenous Inspector-General of Police and the immediate past Chairman of the Police Service Commission.
His legacy transcends the formalities of rank and the architecture of reform. It is etched into the conscience of a nation and woven into the character of those privileged to serve under his visionary leadership.
He was not merely a steward of law and order, but a cultivator of minds, a guardian of institutional integrity, and a beacon of principled service.
His life was a sonata of leadership, composed in the quiet tones of wisdom and the bold chords of conviction.
He mentored not with mere instruction, but with the grace of a sculptor shaping character. His memory endures as a radiant compass, stirring the soul, refining the mind, and guiding all who seek to serve with honour, discernment, and unwavering integrity.
My journey with Dr. Solomon Arase commenced when he was a Deputy Commissioner of Police and Principal Staff Officer to the Inspector-General of Police.
I had the distinct honour of being among the top ten best graduating cadets of my course, chosen for a prestigious interview to serve at the Inspector-General of Police secretariat; a rare opportunity that marked the beginning of a professional relationship shaped by excellence, mentorship, and enduring respect.
The encounter that unfolded during the interview diverged significantly from the rigid formalities of conventional assessment and the hierarchical tenor often suggestive of a master-servant dynamic.
Rather than a perfunctory interrogation, it evolved into a gracious and intellectually stimulating dialogue, marked by mutual respect and thoughtful engagement.
In that moment, I found myself not merely before a senior officer, but in the presence of a cultivated intellect whose warmth, discernment, and quiet authority revealed a depth of character both rare and profoundly compelling.
The experience rose above procedural formalities, imprinting a lasting impression and ushering in a professional odyssey defined by wisdom, integrity, and the quiet yet profound influence of transformative mentorship.
Following my redeployment from Edo Command to the Inspector-General’s Secretariat, I was granted the rare privilege of serving directly under Dr. Solomon E. Arase.
What began as a professional posting soon blossomed into a profound mentorship, shaped by daily encounters with a leader whose humanity, humility, and intellectual brilliance left an enduring imprint on all who crossed his path.
He corrected with compassion, inspired through quiet strength, and consistently challenged us to transcend intellectual inertia and epistemic complacency.
His counsel, though elegantly simple, carried transformative weight: read voraciously, reflect deeply, and evolve without ceasing.
In his presence, mediocrity lost its footing, and the pursuit of excellence emerged not as a distant ideal, but as a moral imperative woven into the fabric of daily discipline of a Staff Officer to the Inspector-General of Police.
He later disclosed that he had authored a memorandum addressed to the then Inspector-General of Police, articulating a visionary proposition: the strategic redeployment of the most intellectually distinguished cadets from each course to the IGP Secretariat.
His objective was both lucid and profound. He envisioned the cultivation of a future leadership cohort through intentional exposure, rigorous intellectual conditioning, and sustained mentorship.
The initiative stood as a bold testament to meritocratic ideals, institutional foresight, and his unwavering conviction in the transformative potential of enlightened stewardship.
Serving under Dr. Solomon E. Arase was a privilege that transcended the conventional boundaries of professional obligation.
He inhabited the office of Principal Staff Officer, having served three successive Inspectors-General of Police, not as a seat of power but as a conduit for service.
With quiet dignity and unwavering compassion, he wielded institutional influence not to command but to uplift, leaving behind a legacy defined not by authority but by humanity and humaneness.
His influence extended far beyond the corridors of the police force, reaching all who sought guidance, solace, or opportunity.
His wisdom and presence called to mind the Queen of Sheba, who, upon beholding the splendour of Solomon’s court, declared that the half had not been told.
In much the same spirit, those who encountered Dr. Arase, Solomon in both name and stature, often discovered that his quiet strength, intellectual depth, and compassionate leadership exceeded every expectation.
They departed transformed, having encountered the fullness of a character that inspired not only respect but reverence.
His influence was all the more profound for being presented in simplicity. Greatness, in his case, was never adorned with spectacle but revealed through quiet grace and disarming native intelligence.
His mentees, men and women of goodwill, prayed earnestly for his elevation to the highest office in the Force.
Their hopes, grounded in admiration and trust in his leadership, and were fulfilled in 2015 when providence answered with his appointment as the eighteenth Inspector-General of Police.
It was more than a promotion; it was a resounding affirmation of character, competence, candour and the quiet power of mentorship realized.
Although he genuinely wished that I join his team as the IGP, he graciously approved my deployment as Aide-de-Camp to the Executive Governor of Ebonyi State.
With characteristic wisdom and warmth, he said, “Go and experience life on the other side, and be a shining example of what you have learned in the Secretariat.”
It was both a farewell, burden of challenge and a benediction, a gesture that affirmed his belief in growth through exposure and his quiet confidence in the values he had instilled.
His tenure as Inspector-General of Police remains a distinguished chapter in the history of the Force.
It was marked by thoughtful reforms, the strengthening of institutional frameworks, and an unwavering commitment to professionalism.
His leadership embodied a vision of service, guided by steady progress and a quiet determination to elevate policing standards in Nigeria.
A scholar of formidable depth and discernment, Dr. Solomon Arase stands among the pioneering voices of epistemic policing in Nigeria.
He consistently championed the pursuit of higher knowledge among police officers, viewing intellectual growth as a vital pathway to elevating the quality of service and professional standards within the Force.
His belief in the transformative power of education positioned him not only as a reformer, but as a mentor who understood that enlightened minds build stronger institutions.
His profound engagement with the formulation of the Méndez Principles of Investigative Interviewing, now enshrined as a global standard for ethical and effective engagement with criminal suspects, reveals a mind unshackled by the confines of academic theory.
His intellect moved fluidly between the abstract and the applied, breathing life into principles that uphold human dignity while refining the craft of law enforcement.
His intellect was never a mere adornment; it was sharp, purposeful, and transformative, influencing international norms and redefining the moral foundation of investigative practice and principled leadership within the policing profession.
Even in retirement, Dr. Solomon Arase’s devotion to public service remained un-diminished.
He became a sought-after speaker across local and international platforms, engaging audiences both within the security community and beyond.
In these public fora, he delivered incisive lectures on law enforcement and policing, seamlessly weaving together theoretical constructs and the practical realities of his distinguished career as a Police Officer.
His discourses were not only cerebral but deeply human, offering a rare blend of scholarship and experience that illuminated the complexities of modern policing with clarity, conviction, and compassion.
Upon his appointment as Chairman of the Police Service Commission, he extended his hand once again and invited me to serve as his Special Assistant.
The role offered a rare vantage point from which I observed a man deeply committed to advancing police accountability, championing institutional reform, and reinforcing the Commission’s reputation as Nigeria’s foremost oversight body.
It also brought me into closer fellowship with his family and circle of friends, a vibrant community united by a shared reverence for scholarship and a steadfast pursuit of professional excellence across a wide range of disciplines and other meaningful endeavours of life.
As Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Dr. Solomon Arase brought transformative energy to the institution.
Drawing on his vast network and wealth of experience, he prioritized capacity building by ensuring that Commission staff received specialized training in police oversight, human rights, accountability, and the investigation of misconduct.
Recognizing the importance of responsiveness, he established the Complaint Monitoring Unit within the Commission, tasked with overseeing the Police Complaint Response Unit and ensuring that public grievances were addressed with urgency, transparency, and professionalism.
Through these initiatives, he reinforced the Commission’s role as a credible and effective oversight body, committed to justice and institutional integrity.
With quiet resolve and strategic clarity, he fostered industrial harmony within the Commission, cultivating a respectful and collaborative relationship between the PSC and the NPF.
Never seeking to overreach nor to subordinate, he championed balance, mutual respect, and institutional synergy.
His leadership transcended ethnic and regional boundaries, anchored in the timeless virtues of intelligence, humility, diligence, and an unshakable fidelity to duty.
In Dr. Solomon Arase, I found not merely a mentor, but a father figure: steadfast, wise, and profoundly humane.
He was a gentleman par excellence, a jolly good fellow whose laughter could soften the hardest day and whose counsel could illuminate the darkest hour.
His passing is not just an absence, but a silence that echoes across the corridors of memory. Yet we do not grieve as those without hope, for we are consoled by the truth that he lived phenomenally.
His life was a testament to purpose, and history will cradle his name with reverence, whispering to generations yet unborn that such a man once walked among us with grace, dignity, and unwavering devotion to service of humanity.
In truth, Dr. Solomon Arase did not merely serve; he shaped lives with quiet conviction and enduring purpose. His legacy cannot be confined to policy documents or the hierarchy of rank.
It lives in the hearts of those he mentored, in the institutions he strengthened, and in the ideals he upheld with unwavering integrity.
I consider it a profound honour to be among those touched by his light, guided by his wisdom, and shaped by his example. His story is not simply remembered; it is inherited.
It stands as a living standard and exemplar for those who choose to lead with courage, to serve with humility, and to walk the path of purpose with grace.
May his soul find eternal rest in the quiet dignity he so effortlessly embodied, and may his legacy continue to rise like morning light, guiding hearts, inspiring minds, and reminding the world that true greatness is not claimed through titles, but lived through character.
Adieu, noble soul, mentor and boss!
Ogbonnaya Nwota, PhD.
