Biola University has paid tribute to John Ojeisekhoba Sr., its associate vice president and chief of campus safety, who died Aug. 31 at age 54 after a cardiac arrest.
Known on campus as “Chief O,” Ojeisekhoba served at the Southern California university since 2000 and rose to national and international prominence in campus safety. A Nigerian-born former student-athlete at Biola, he earned two master’s degrees and was promoted to chief of campus safety in 2009 before assuming his most recent role in 2019.
Biola President Barry H. Corey called him “a paragon of college safety professionalism” and said his leadership embodied the convictions of the university’s Christian faith community.
Ojeisekhoba also served in international leadership roles, including as president of the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA) in 2024. He was appointed to the Homeland Security Academic Partnership Council by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and most recently led the California College and University Police Chiefs Association.
His work earned widespread recognition, including being named Law Enforcement Officer of the Year by the Veterans of Foreign Wars in 2024, “Campus Safety Director of the Year” by Campus Safety Magazine in 2015, and multiple awards from state and national law enforcement bodies.
Ojeisekhoba was also a reserve police officer and adjunct professor at Biola, where he taught self-defense courses. He is survived by his wife of 25 years and their five children. Flags at Biola University have been lowered to half-staff in his honor.
