A witness informed the National Transportation Safety Board of the United States, which is investigating the collision, that it was raining with a “wintry mix” at the time of the event. Reports also emerged of a fire aboard the helicopter.
Due to a helicopter crash in the Mojave Desert of Southern California, it is believed that the chief executive officer of one of Nigeria’s largest banks, his wife, and their son have died.
Herbert Wigwe, the chief executive officer of Access Bank, and his family were among the six passengers aboard the charter flight that crashed near Interstate 15 near the California-Nevada border shortly after 10 p.m. on Friday.
Among the other victims were two pilots and a passenger identified as Bamofin Abimbola Ogunbanjo, a former chairman of NGX Group, the Nigerian stock exchange.
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the director-general of the World Trade Organisation and a former Nigerian finance minister, confirmed the deaths of Mr. Wigwe, his family, and Mr. Ogunbanjo.
Mr. Okonjo-Iweala expressed his profound sorrow over the tragic news that Herbert Wigwe, his wife, son, and Bimbo Ogunbanjo died in a helicopter crash, in a post on X. May the souls of the departed rest in eternal peace.
The Nigerian and African finance sector has suffered a “terrible blow.”
Due to his roles in two of the nation’s top institutions, Mr. Wigwe, 57, was considered an industry leader. Including his previous position as executive director at Guaranty Trust Bank.
Nigeria and the African banking industry have sustained “a terrible blow” with his passing, according to a statement published on X by Nigerian presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga. Wigwe had an undying ambition to transform Access Holdings (the parent company) into Africa’s largest conglomerate.
“This seems surreal”
Additionally, Mr. Wigwe had interests in the education sector. The inauguration of his private university, set up in his native Nigeria’s oil-rich Niger Delta region, is scheduled for September. A year ago, he described founding the university as “an opportunity to give back to society.”
“I am speechless; this is unfathomable,” wrote Nigeria’s minister of aviation and aerospace development Festus Keyamo on X.
The Airbus EC-130 departed from Palm Springs Airport at approximately 8:45 p.m. on Friday, en route to Boulder City, Nevada.
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Boulder City is located about 40 kilometres (26 miles) southeast of Las Vegas, the venue for Sunday’s Super Bowl LVIII between the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs.
At the time of the collision, Michael Graham of the National Transportation Safety Board interviewed witnesses. An investigation is underway. Graham reports that the weather included a “wintry mix” of rain and snow.
Additional incidents reported by witnesses included a helicopter blaze and downed power lines.
Five Marines died three days before the crash occurred. A US Marine Corps helicopter crashed in the mountains outside of San Diego amid historic downpours.
