Six people, including the CEO of a Nigerian bank, his wife and son, were killed in a helicopter crash in California on Friday.
The helicopter went down about a quarter mile east of Interstate 15 near Halloran Springs Road with six people inside, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.
All six people who were on the plane died as a result of the crash, SBSD announced.
Among those killed were Herbert Wigwe, Group CEO of Access Bank, and Bimbo Ogunbanjo, former chairman of Nigerian Exchange Group Plc, according to Ngozi Okonjo-IwealaDirector General of the World Trade Organization.
Wigwe’s wife and son were also in the helicopter that crashed, Okonjo-Iweala added.
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Herbert Wigwe.
Andrew Esiebo/Getty
Access Corporation confirmed Wigwe’s death a short time later. Wigwe was described as a “visionary leader” whose “passion and unwavering commitment to excellence transformed Access into a global powerhouse.”
“His legacy of excellence and compassion will continue to inspire us all,” they added.
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National Transportation Safety Board member Michael Graham said the chartered helicopter was flying from Palm Springs, California to Boulder City, Nevada, not far from Las Vegas, according to CNN and USA Today.
The flight took off around 8:45 p.m. local time before going down more than an hour later after 10 p.m., Graham said.
president of nigeria It hurts Ahmed Tinubu expressed his condolences to “the families of Wigwe and Ogunbanjo, the business community and all those affected by this harrowing incident” in a post shared on X on Saturday.
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In his statement, Tinubu described Wigwe as a “prominent banker, humanitarian and entrepreneur”.
“I pray for the peaceful repose of the departed and I pray the Almighty God to comfort the multitude of grieving Nigerians and the families of the departed at this deeply painful time,” the President said.
He added: “Their passing is a great tragedy that is unbelievably shocking.”
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