It is a common practice that hotels around the world require guests to use or show a room card for entry, especially late at night.
It is also common for competent protection specialists to give advance notice to hotel security staff that their principal is in residence and will be entering the hotel late. That is why that part of protection work is called an Advance.
Momadou Ndiaye, for the past 8 years the “bodyguard” for rapper Akon, apparently skipped his classes on Advance.
After a Cardiff gig, Akon and his entourage of about 10 arrived at the Cardiff, Wales Hilton hotel at 11:30 PM on November 3, 2017. Hotel security guard Christopher Smith, who did not recognize Akon or know he was a hotel guest, asked him to show a hotel room card to gain entry.
According to a report in The Mirror, Mr. Smith said Akon’s response was, “Who are you to ask us for ID? We don’t need to show ID. I’m not standing out here in the cold.”
Without any physical provocation, according to Mr. Smith and another witness, that is when Mr. Ndiaye sprang into bodyguard action. He grabbed Mr. Smith by his jacket, forced him through the door, and pushed him against the reception desk.
The Mirror reported that Mr. Nadiaye told police officers that “his actions were meant to protect his client…he reacted to a perceived threat and believed the force he used was justifiable.” Mr. Nadiaye says he is trained in martial arts, weapons and tactical combat…and trains other bodyguards.
The locals were not impressed and didn’t buy Mr. Nadiyae’s threat story; he was arrested and charged with assaulting Mr. Smith. He avoided jail time but was convicted of assault and fined a total of 1,270 Pounds ($1,7000).
The total cost of this incident is far more than the insignificant money fine. Mr. Nadiyae did damage to his client’s reputation and disgraced the close protection profession. He should pursue some other vocation. A court of law validated that he is incompetent at protecting people. A simple, basic hotel advance that even a rookie protection specialist could do would have avoided this incident.
The industry should remember his name…and crime…should they encounter him.
Thanks to The Mirror for their reporting. http://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/akons-bodyguard-assaulted-security-guard-11799589
Photo: FreeImages.com/Jonathan Werner
Doc Rogers say: Excellent article showing the necessity of a hotel advance.
I believe it is much deeper than a hotel advance , I think we all would agree it begins in the vetting of the practitioners credentials and experience.
The advance is the HEART of protection, I always stress advances in my courses it could break the whole operation,
Part of the EP role when traveling overseas is to know if you need a local license. Many countries now have security licensing and in this case, the SIA covers the UK. If they had hired a local EP agent to support their visit they would have ticked that box; wonder if he also got fined for working unlicensed?