WHO IS SOLOMON EHIGIATOR ARASE, FDC., NPM.,THE NEW INSPECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE IN NIGERIA? Landmark Professional Achievements/Assignments Years.

A Review By Prince Kelly O. Udebhulu.

"There is a myth, perhaps a common one that the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) is not your friend”

Putting this in mind, am here to introduce an officer of the Nigerian Police Force that is different, well-spoken, a lover of Nigeria, a believer of rule of law, a policeman per excellence. His name is Mr. Solomon Ehigiator Arase, Acting Inspector General of Police by rank (IGP).

As presidential sack of Suleiman Abba was announced, Mr. Solomon Arase takes his place as the new Inspector-General of Police. Before his latest appointment, Mr. Arase was head of the Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department.

Majority describe him as "a gentleman, terrific policeman."

Mr. Arase, 59, was born on June 21, 1956. He hails from Oredo Local Government Area of Edo state.

He enlisted into the Nigerian Police on December 1, 1981 after graduating from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, in 1980, with a degree in Political Science.

 He has in his academic kitty the LL.B degree of the University of Benin. He studied further, bagging LL.M from the Lagos State University, where he specialised in Corporate Management and Finance Law. He was not done yet as he also got a Master’s degree in Strategic Studies from University of Ibadan. He is a distinguished Fellow of Nigeria Defence College, (fdc). He has also been the recipient of the National Police Medal (NPM).

Landmark Professional Achievements/Assignments

Year:

• He served at the United Nations Mission in Namibia and is a Fellow of the Nigerian Defence College.
• He was once the former Commissioner of Police in Akwa Ibom, and also headed Federal Intelligence Bureau (FIB). 
• 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 established in Nigeria (2013).
• Re-organisation, 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 – date).
• 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 his deployment to the State(2011-2012)
• 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).
• Member, Nigeria Police Committee on Review of the Nigerian Constitution/Police Act (2009).
• Principal Staff Officer to Three Successive Inspectors-General of Police (Between 2002 and 2008 – Serving IGPs Tafa Balogun, Sunday Ehindero, and Mike Okiro)2002-2008.
• Member, Failed Bank Inquiry (FBI)(1998-2000).
• In 2006 he served as the Secretary to the Presidential Committee on Nigeria Police Reform and was a member of Nigeria Police Committee on Review of the Nigerian Constitution/Police Act.

Policing Vision.

Initiatives towards preventing abuse of pre-trial detention, comprehensive re-organization of the investigation and prosecution departments of the Force. This will entail the professionalization of the Prosecution Units of the Force with emphasis on recruitment and deployment of qualified lawyers to take full responsibility for prosecution of all criminal cases investigated by the Nigeria Police Force.

Publications:

• Arase, S.E (ed), ‘National Security : Intelligence and Community Partnership Approach’, Abuja: Panaf Press, (2013).
• Arase, S.E (ed), ‘Nigeria Police Force, The Journey So Far’, Abuja: Panaf Press, (2013).
• Arase, S.E (ed), ‘Monograph on Criminal Investigation’, Abuja: Panaf Press, (2010).
• Arase, S.E and Iwuofor, I.P.O. (eds), ‘Policing Nigeria in the 21st Century’, Ibadan: Spectrum Books Ltd (2007).

 Prince Kelly O. Udebhulu is a trained journalist from the AIU (USA), resides in Spain; a blogger and special correspondent to some news media internationally.

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