NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
A helicopter carrying six people crashed near a small town in Southern California’s Mojave Desert in the United States, the Associated Press has reported.
According to media reports, the helicopter was believed to be conveying the Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings, Herbert Wigwe, his wife, son and former group chairman of Nigerian Exchange Group Plc (NGX Group), Abimbola Ogunbanjo.
It was gathered that the helicopter went down on Friday evening near Baker, a town of 700 people about 95 miles (153 kilometers) southwest of Las Vegas.
The helicopter took off from Palm Springs Airport around 8:45 p.m. and was en route to Boulder City, Nevada, when it crashed about 10 p.m., according to the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department. Sheriff’s officials told newsmen that they have not been able to locate any survivors and the cause of the crash is unknown. A message The Associated Press left with the sheriff’s department on Saturday wasn’t immediately returned.
While the US National Transportation Safety Board said it was sending a team to the site to investigate the crash, officials of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in a statement that they also are investigating.
Sunday Tribune reports that Wigwe, his family and Ogunbajo’s deaths have sent shivers down the spine of many, including stakeholders in Nigeria’s financial sector, among others.
Many concerned Nigerians and industry watchers described his demise as a huge loss that will have implications within the business community.
Leading the pack, former vice-president and former presidential candidate of the People Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, in a condolence message he posted on X, said he was saddened by the death of the Wigwe, his relations and others in the crash.
His tweet read: “In the words of one of Nigeria’s finest CEOs, Herbert Wigwe, ‘Today and always, let us remember that life is a precious gift – a chance to breathe, feel, love, experience and connect. Let’s honour this gift by living with purpose, kindness, and gratitude, making every moment count. Let us number our days.’
