Former Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Solomon Arase has been laid to rest in Benin City, the capital of Edo State.
Arase was buried in a private ceremony attended by family members and close associates, following a funeral mass at St. Paul Catholic Church.
Delivering the homily, Reverend Father Andrew Obiyan urged the congregation to live in ways that prepare them for eternal life. He stressed:
“People want to go everywhere on earth but refuse to go to the House of God. Our own life is in heaven. We must never be distracted.
“We now see old age creeping into our lives daily, powerfully. It crept in to remind us of immortality.
“We study so hard to receive so many titles. At death, those titles mean nothing to God. The only title that means so much is a grace of battle.”
Father Obiyan described Arase as a man who feared and loved God, noting the challenges of policing in a country facing a soaring crime rate.
“Sometimes we go everywhere, but we don’t want to go to the House of God except when we want to please people. We give glory to God for Arase’s getting to the peak of his career. The Lord does not take from you what he cannot give,” he added.
The funeral attracted high-profile dignitaries, including Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo, represented by his Deputy Dennis Idahosa; Oba Ewuare II, represented by Chief Oseni Elamah and Chief Uso Osaretin, the Usoh of Benin Kingdom; former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi; FRSC Zone 5 Commander Stella Orakwe; Secretary to the Police Service Commission Onyeabuchi Nnamani; IGP Kayode Egbetokun; Senator Neda Imasuen; and other notable figures.
The article was originally published on Politics Nigeria.
