The authorities in the United States have officially released the names of the six people killed in a helicopter crash near the California-Nevada border on Friday.
Herbert Wigwe, the group chief executive officer of Access Holding Limited, the parent company of Access Bank, died in the crash, alongside his wife and son. A former chair of the Nigerian Exchange Limited also died.
The San Bernardino County coroner identified the victims as Herbert O. Wigwe, 57; Doreen Wigwe, 56; and Herbert C. Wigwe, 29.
The other victims are Blake Hansen, 22, of Moorpark, Benjamin Pettingill, 25, of Camarillo and Abimbola O. Ogunbanjo, 61. The names were released on Tuesday, U.S. media reported.
All six people aboard the charter aircraft perished when the helicopter crashed in California’s Mojave desert. The NTSB, which is investigating the accident, said the pilot, a secondary safety pilot, and four passengers were en route from Palm Springs to Boulder City when the tragic incident occurred around 10 p.m.
Earlier, 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 128 kilometres drive from Las Vegas.
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.
Who was Wigwe?
Mr Wigwe 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 the bank into other African countries, acquiring majority stakes in or purchasing outright banks in Kenya, South Africa, Angola, Botswana, and Mozambique. Mr 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 investment.
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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