Herbert Wigwe, the CEO of Access Bank, Nigeria’s largest bank by asset, was killed on Friday when a helicopter he was riding in with his family crashed in the Mojave Desert in Southern California.
Mr Wigwe, his wife and son were among six people on board when the helicopter crashed shortly after 10 p.m. Abimbola Ogunbanjo, who was president of the National Council of the Nigeria Stock Exchange from 2017 to 2021, and served as the group chairman of the Nigerian Exchange Group Plc from 2021 to 2022, also died in the crash.
The United States’ Federal Aviation Administration confirmed the helicopter had six people aboard. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate.
What did we learn new?
Peter Knudson, a spokesperson for the NTSB, said the helicopter went down near Baker, a town of 700 people about 152.9 kilometres southwest of Las Vegas.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said the helicopter crashed east of Interstate 15 near Halloran Springs Road, which is near the California-Nevada border and about a128 kilometres drive from Las Vegas.
KABC-TV reported that the helicopter took off from Palm Springs Airport around 8:45 p.m. and was en route to Boulder City, Nevada, when it crashed, according to the Sheriff’s Department. Boulder City is about 41 kilometres southeast of Las Vegas.
Halloran Springs Road crosses over Interstate 15 in an area known to travellers for an abandoned gas station with a sign declaring “Lo Gas” and “Eat.” It’s located in a remote area of the Mojave Desert, with an elevation of nearly 3,000 feet (914.40 meters), according to the San Bernardino Sun.
Weather? Additional information?
The New York Daily News reports that the aircraft, the Eurocopter EC-130, was a tourist helicopter, registered to a Burbank-based tour company called Orbic Air. According to the company’s website, it “offers the finest in helicopter rides, helicopter tours, and helicopter charters in Los Angeles.”
While there was no information about the possible cause of the crash, logs from the California Highway Patrol showed there was rain and snow in the area at about the time of the crash, reports the San Bernardino Sun.
Who was Wigwe?
Wigwe, 57, led Access Bank as CEO since 2014. He took co-ownership of the bank with Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede in 2002.
He led an initiative to expand into Africa, which included acquiring majority stakes in or outright purchasing banks in Kenya, South Africa, Angola, Botswana, and Mozambique. Wigwe revealed in November that the bank was on the verge of completing regulatory procedures to introduce its inaugural full banking service in Asia by the first quarter of 2024.
He established the Wigwe University in his native Rivers state, with an estimated cost of $500 million. The university aims to admit 10,000 students over the next five years.
On his X account, Wigwe posted in January: “Today and always, let us remember that life is a precious gift – a chance to breathe, feel, love, experience and connect. Let’s honor this gift by living with purpose, kindness, and gratitude, making every moment count … Let us number our days.”
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