Popular businessman, private security expert and renowned inspirational speaker, Mr Ubong King, breathed his last in Lagos in the early hours of December 26, aged 48.

The founder of Protection Plus Security Limited in Ibeju Lekki, who was also known as the ‘Troublemaker,’ was said to have tested positive for COVID-19 few days ago.

His death came barely a day after Unyime-Ivy King, his wife, shared a picture of the family, including the deceased and their four children, to mark this year’s Christmas.

“It’s that time of the year…I celebrate Jesus, I celebrate family, I celebrate good friends, and I celebrate the gift of life…Merry Christmas everyone, from our family to yours,” she had written on her Instagram page on Friday.

But on Sunday, Unyime-Ivy posted a photo of a dimly lit candle in a dark background on Facebook to mourn her husband.

She wrote: “This is an open post to everyone just to respond to all who have tried to reach me that I’m unable to respond to because of the volumes of calls coming in. I will be unavailable for a while after this post, so my children and I can process in private.

“All I want to say right now is that my everlasting date, Ubong King, has completed the short 48-year assignment that our Lord asked him to do and he’s at peace now. I need to keep my mind strong. So, love me from a distance and pray for us all. I can’t do RIP yet – maybe later. But the family and I are stable and God is in our corner.”

King, who hailed from Akwa Ibom State, ran a flourishing security consultancy firm, but spent most of his time visiting various Nigerian cities for speaking engagements to motivate young Nigerians.

He often talked about how, as a teenager, he lost his father and how he struggled against poverty to accomplish a lot in life.

“Two things changed my life totally. One was time, and two was target. Once I put my time on the ground and my target, I look like a mad man. A man with a vision is a mad man until the vision comes to pass. I am hungry to win,” the late Mr King said in one of his public speaking classes.