By Okosun Dennis
Nigeria has lost one of the most vibrant, articulate, resourceful security analyst, and practitioner, Dr. Ona Ekhomu. The renowned private security expert died on Monday in Lagos after a brief illness.
It was gathered that he had fallen sick two weeks after contracting Covid-19, the virus currently ravaging the whole world since 2019 and has been declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Ekhomu, who is the President of the Association of Industrial Security and Safety Operators of Nigeria (AISSON) after coming down with Covid-19 complications, his wife, Victoria was said to have notified industry players that he had contracted COVID and solicited prayers for her husband.
Born in March 1955, he was the Chairman, Transworld Security Systems and a founding member of the American Society for Industry Security (ASIS) International in Nigeria. He hails from Irrua, Edo State, Nigeria. Ekhomu is the first chartered security professional in West Africa and has authored many books on Security.
His highly acclaimed book on security awareness: Effective Personal & Corporate Security (2009), Kidnap: Face to face with death (2014), and his most recent book: “Boko Haram: Security Considerations and the Rise of an Insurgency.”
He is the Africa Representative of the International Foundation for Protection Officers (IFPO); A Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) No. 14210 and a Certified Protection Professional (CPP) No. 8851.
Dr Ekhomu obtained a BA (History) from Voorhees College, Denmark, South Carolina USA 1977. M.A (Political Science) from the Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 1979; and Ph.D. (Public and International Affairs – Policy Management) from the University of Pittsburgh, USA 1985. He attended the Security Officer Training Academy of Allegheny County in Pennsylvania USA (1986). He obtained the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Act 235 Lethal Weapons Licence in 1986.
A management consultant, policy analyst, and corporate security consultant, Dr. Ekhomu is the Chairman of the School of Management and Security.
Ekhomu is the Regional Certification Representative of ASIS International (Africa Group 11 — West, Central and Northern Africa), a former member of the CPP-IDG Committee of the Professional Certification Board (PCB) of ASIS International.
He is the former Regional Vice President (RVP) West & Central Africa of the American Society for Industrial Security (ASIS International) – 2002 to 2007; former Chairman of ASIS Nigeria Chapter – 1999 to 2001. Member of the International Review Board of the Journal of Security Education (New York, NY), National President of the Global Association of Private Security Practitioners (Abuja, Nigeria); Honorary Fellow of the Institute of Industrial Security and Safety of Nigeria.
Member of the Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM); Member of the Academy of Security Educators & Trainers (USA), National Fire Protection Association (USA), and the International Organization of Black Security Executives (USA).
Ekhomu holds the chieftaincy title of Fiwagboye of Ilewo (Ogun State) and Ogbeni of Irrua (Edo State). He’s a biographee of Who’s Who in Nigeria (2003), Corporate Nigeria Who’s Who in Business (1992). Who’s Who in Finance and Industry – USA (1987), International Youth in Achievement- USA (1981), Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges (1977).
From March 2005 to December 2010 he has authored a weekly column on security awareness – RED ALERT published in SATURDAY PUNCH newspaper (Lagos, Nigeria).
Since March 2011, he now writes the weekly column RED ALERT in THISDAY Newspaper (Lagos, Nigeria) He writes a column on security matters for a magazine SECURITY WATCH AFRICA captioned RED ALERT AFRICA.
From 1986 to 1987 he wrote a column captioned CORPORATE SECURITY in BUSINESS CONCORD Newspaper (Lagos, Nigeria). He has written several articles in scholarly journals and has contributed chapters to several books.
In February 2014, Ekhomu was honoured with the Security Pioneer Award by the Port Harcourt Chapter of ASIS International. In January 2011, he received the Quarter Century of Service Award from ASIS International.
He was the recipient of the Police Community Relations Committee Area A Lion Building Ambassador of Peace Award 2010. In March 2010, he was invested with the National Daily Newspaper “Special Recognition Award for Private Security Services in Nigeria.”
In November 2007 he was awarded the Golden Star Award for Private Security (Operation) by Security Watch Africa. . He was the recipient of the International Day of the Family Awards 2006. In 2004, Dr. Ekhomu was named the Private Security Chief of the Year by the Crime Reporters Association of Nigeria (CRAN).
He died on the 9th August, 2021.
https://any.peopleandpowermag.com/ekhomu-iconic-security-expert-dies-at-66/
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