As Nigerians mourn the death of Herbert Wigwe, the group managing director of Access Bank Corporation, more information are emerging about the circumstance of the crash of the helicopter in which they were traveling in California.
Herbert died on Friday along with his wife and their senior son as well as a bosom friend Abimbola Ogunbanjo in Niption, California.
BusinessDay has learnt that Herbert’s friend and predecessor Aig Imoukhuede who is also in California flew in a separate helicopter and landed safely. It is not known if they were ahead or behind the copter that crashed near Nipton, California.
On January 19, 2024, Herbert said on his social media handle, “today let us remember that life is a precious gift – a chance to breathe, feel, love, experience and connect.
“Let us honour this gift by living with purpose, kindness, and gratitude, making every moment count. Let us number our days.”
Our reporter also learnt that on Tuesday, Herbert with directors of a Lagos based company met to discuss succession planning for the company.
Wigwe who lost a younger brother a few years ago is survived by his aged parents. Ogunbanjo on the other hand just buried his father Chris Ogunbanjo, a revered industrialist.
One close associate said the party was headed for the US super bowl holding in Las Vegas tomorrow.
A report by NBC in America said the helicopter crashed Friday night near Nipton, California, with six people on board quoting the Federal Aviation Administration said.
The report said as of Saturday morning, no survivors had been found, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement.
“We were made aware of a downed aircraft at approximately 10:12 p.m., on February 10, 2024. The scene of the crash was determined to be east of the 15-Freeway, near Halloran Springs Road,” the sheriff’s department told NBC.
The FAA identified the helicopter as aEurocopter EC 130 and said it as well as the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.
Nipton is a small town in San Bernardino County located about 12 miles southeast of Primm, Nevada.
