BREAKING: Nigeria’s Police Reveal Date And Plans For Late Ex-IGP Solomon Arase’s Burial

The Nigeria Police Force has officially released the burial arrangements for former Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Ehigiator Arase, who died on August 31, 2025.

Arase, the 18th indigenous IGP, is being remembered as a leader who served with “dedication and honour,” leaving behind a legacy of “exemplary and innovative leadership, philanthropy, and unwavering commitment to police reforms.”

Programme of Events
According to the schedule released on Wednesday, September 17, via the Force’s official social media handles:

• Day of Tribute: Wednesday, September 24, at the Nigeria Police Resource Centre, Jabi, Abuja.

• Requiem Mass: Friday, September 26, at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Maitama, Abuja.

• Lying in State: Saturday, September 27, at House 9, Golfview Estate, Linus Nkachukwu Close, Maitama, Abuja.

• Funeral Mass: Friday, October 3, at St Paul’s Catholic Church, Airport Road, Benin City, Edo State, with a Police Parade Party escorting the body into the church.

• Private Interment: Same afternoon at his residence in GRA, Benin City.

• Thanksgiving Mass: Sunday, October 5, at St Paul’s Catholic Church, Airport Road, Benin City.

Arase, who retired in 2016, is fondly remembered for championing reforms in community policing, intelligence-driven operations, and improved welfare for officers.

The Police Force noted that his passing marks the close of a remarkable chapter in its history and in Nigeria’s security landscape.