Herbert Wigwe is the co-founder of Nigeria’s largest bank
Abuja, Nigeria:
The co-founder of Nigeria’s largest bank, his wife and son have died in a helicopter crash in the United States, the company said on Sunday.
Access Holdings said in a statement that Access Bank Group CEO Herbert Wigwe died when his plane crashed in California on Friday.
“On Friday, February 9, 2024, Dr. Wigwe died in a helicopter accident in the United States along with his wife and son,” the statement said. “The entire Access family mourns the loss of Herbert, Doreen and Chizi.”
U.S. authorities said two crew members and four passengers died in the crash. The head of the World Trade Organization said the dead included former Nigeria Stock Exchange chairman Abimbola Ogunbanjo.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said on its website: “At approximately 10 pm local time on Friday, February 9, a Eurocopter EC 130 helicopter crashed near Neptune, California. Six people were on board.” However, the names of the victims were not disclosed.
The FAA said it would investigate.
World Trade Organization Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said on social media that she was “concerned with Access Bank Group CEO Herbert Wigwe, his wife and son, and Bin We are deeply saddened by the news of the tragic death of Bimbo Ogunbanjo in a helicopter crash.”
Nigeria’s Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo said the news was “devastating”.
“I am also shocked to learn that his wife, son and other friends were involved in this tragedy,” he said.
Access is Nigeria’s largest bank by assets, according to Bloomberg.
The bank praised Wigwe, who became deputy managing director in 2002, as a “key driving force and legend who brings extraordinary enthusiasm, energy and experience to the transformation of the Access franchise business”.
The helicopter departed from Palm Springs, California, on Friday night for Boulder City, Nevada, National Transportation Safety Board member Michael Graham said at a news conference Saturday.
Graham told reporters that about 90 minutes after the charter flight took off, “the helicopter struck terrain south of I-15 near Halloran Springs, California,” about 75 miles (120 kilometers) northeast of Barstow. at.
“Two crew members and four passengers were on board and they suffered fatal injuries,” he said, without naming the deceased.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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