The CEO of a Nigerian bank and six individuals were murdered when the helicopter they were riding in crashed Friday night in California According to a World Trade Organization official.
According to National Transportation Safety Board member Michael Graham, the hired helicopter “impacted the ground” at Halloran Springs, California, at 10:08 p.m. on Saturday. The chopper had left Palm Springs at 8:45 p.m. on its way to Boulder City, Nevada.
According to Graham, all six occupants of the aircraft four passengers, a safety pilot, and the pilot-in-command were murdered.
Nigerian bank CEO died in a helicopter crash?
Access Bank CEO Herbert Wigwe, his wife, Doreen Chizoba, and son Chizi, died in the crash along with the former group chairman of Nigeria’s stock exchange, Abimola Ogunbanjo. Those identities were first released by the director general of the World Trade Organization, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, in a post on X.
Graham stated that Orbic Air operated and leased the aircraft, an Airbus Helicopter H130. A request for comment from the California-based corporation was not immediately answered.
Many drivers on the neighboring Interstate 15 reported seeing the incident or the ensuing fire Friday night, he said. Interstate 15 runs from near the U.S.-Mexico border to Las Vegas on the way to Canada.
According to witness testimony, “There was fire when the aircraft did contact the terrain,” stated Graham.
A natural springs location in the Mojave Desert and the surrounding neighborhood is known as Halloran Springs. It is located around 80 miles south of Las Vegas, the site of this Sunday’s Super Bowl between the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs. About 25 miles separate Boulder Springs from Las Vegas.
Does temperature play a role in a crash?
Data from the National Weather Service indicates that the area’s temperature was in the upper 20s at the time of the collision. The weather service reported that although the winds were quite moderate, at around 10 mph, gusts were beginning to roll in, with some reaching speeds of up to 29 mph before the sun rose on Saturday.
Graham stated that at the time of the collision, witnesses reported seeing rain and “a wintry mix” of weather. Graham stated at a separate news conference on Sunday that NTSB meteorologists verified witness allegations of precipitation at the accident site and time using weather radar photos and data.
A database of traffic events shows that the California Highway Patrol reported shortly after the collision that a “large band of snow” was heading into Halloran Springs. It stated that there was some snow mixed with rain.
It’s unknown what caused the collision.
People showed condolence
As a powerful banker with lofty goals for both his own Nigeria and abroad, Wigwe was being mourned.
The spokesperson and special assistant to Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Adekunle Tinubu, Bayo Onanuga, stated on X that “the death of Roosevelt Herbert Wigwe is a terrible blow for Nigeria and Africa’s banking industry.” He went on, referring to the parent firm of Access Bank, “Wigwe had a big vision to make Access Holdings Africa’s biggest, with all the unquenchable thirst for acquisitions.”
Modele Sarafa-Yusuf, a Nigerian journalist and personality, posted on social media on Saturday, expressing how much Wigwe was a friend and how sad his passing is.
She remarked, “He had such a profound influence on philanthropy, art, education, and banking and finance.” “He was always a pleasure to be around; he was cerebral and quick-witted.”
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