How helicopter wey carry Wigwe, wife and son crash - Report

Pipo see di helicopter wey bin carry three Nigerians and odas for California as “fireballs” before e crash and claim di lives wey dey inside, di US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) tok for dia preliminary report.

Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of Access Holdings Plc, Herbert Herbet Wigwe, im wife, im son, former Group Chairman of Nigerian Exchange Group Plc (NGX Group) Abimbola Ogunbajo na di Nigerians wey die for di crash.

Di Airbus Helicopters EC 130B4 wit registration number N130CZ wey crash near Halloran Springs, California for 9 February, 2024 also claim di life of di pilot plus di co-pilot.

According to di NTSB, di witnesses report say di weather on di day di accident happun na a mix of rain and snow.

Di report also tok say di automatic dependent surveillance broadcast (ADS-B) technology dem build for di helicopter wey dey provide di position of an aircraft, bin record increase in ground speed before di crash.

“According to law enforcement, several witnesses wey dey travel inside motor call 911 to report say dem observe one ‘fireball’ to di south.

“Di witnesses bin report say di weather conditions for di area “no good” and di rain wey dey fall bin dey mixed wit snow.” Part of di report tok.

Di NTSB further state say dem “locate di wreckage for one high mountainous desert and parts of di helicopter scata everiwia sake of di impact of di hit.”

Di report add say dem find all major components of di helicopter for di site of di accident.

“Di fuselage bin dey fragmented, di cockpit and cabin dey destroyed. Some debris and vegetation show thermal damage.

“Di flight control tubes and linkages wey lead up to di flight control servos dey fragmented and dem no fit verify continuity.

“Di main motor blades scata and di blade sleeves and tips bin dey present,” di report tok.

Tributes for Herbert Wigwe

From Nigeria to di United States and di world at large, di international business community mourn di loss of di Group Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings.

Nigeria president, politicians plus oda ogbonge pipo across di world pour dia tributes for di business mogul Herbert Wigwe and Abimbola Ogunbanjo.

President of Nigeria Bola Tinubu don express im pain ova di death of Herbert Wigwe, im wife and dia son. President Tinubu say Wigwe na veri distinguished banker, humanitarian and entrepreneur.

"Dia passing na veri overwhelming tragedy wey dey shocking beyond comprehension. I extend my condolences to di Wigwe, di business community, and all dose wey dey impacted by dis harrowing incident," Tinubu tok.

French President Emmanuel Macron wey express im condolence on im Facebook page, highlight Wigwe role in strengthening Franco-Nigerian relations. “France don lose a friend,” Macron lament as e acknowledge Wigwe efforts as President of di French Nigeria Business Council.

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, di director general of di World Trade Organization, also tok for her post on X say Herbert Wigwe bin dey on board di helicopter with im wife and son.

Billionaire and philanthropist Femi Otedola describe am as a “banking genius” and emphasize di lasting legacy e leave behind.

Festus Keyamo, Nigeria Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, chairman of heirs holdings, Tony Elumelu, among many odas recall fond memories wit di late business tycoons.

Profile of Herbert Wigwe

Herbert Wigwe na di co-founder and Group Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings PLC, wey dey offer financial services for sectors in Africa, Asia and Europe.

Di journey of Wigwe to become one of Africa top corporate bankers bin begin wen im complete im accountancy degree from di University of Nigeria for Nsukka.

Wigwe still kontinu to grow im journey as im earn Masters for Banking and Finance from di University of North Wales (now Bangor) and anoda Masters for Financial Economics from di prestigious University of London.

Wigwe na alumnus of di Harvard Business School Executive Management Program. Afta which im still go study law for University of London. Na from Coopers and Lybrand for Lagos im begin im journey as a management consultant wey make am qualify as a chartered accountant.

Im first work for Capital Bank, afta which im go join GTBank wia im spend ova a decade to work for corporate and institutional banking, from dia e rise to become di Executive Director wey dey in-charge of institutional banking.

Wigwe get clear experience for di banking sector, im partner wit Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede to buy into Access Bank for 2002 at di time wey di bank dey rank 65th largest bank in Nigeria.

Wigwe begin im leadership tenure for Access Bank as Deputy Managing Director, before im succeed Aig-Imoukhuede as di Group Managing Director/CEO for 2014. Im hold dat position until 2022.

For dat eight-year period wey im lead Access bank, Wigwe and im team of leaders carry Access Bank to become Africa largest retail bank (by customer base) for sub-saharan Africa. Access bank also become one of di top 500 financial institution brands for di world, according to one 2022 report by Brand Finance, afta di bank don get operations for 12 kontris across di world. For Africa alone, Wigwe bin lead di bank to 60 million customers.

Wigwe na also di Chairman of di Access Bank UK, wey don dey become a veri strong African bank for di United Kingdom.

Im also dey di board of Nigeria Business Coalition Against AIDS as member wey dey lead major businesses for Nigeria to fight HIV/AIDS within di health system and di private sector workforce.

Im be honorary member of di Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, a Fellow of di Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria and also di Institute of Credit Administration.

For 2021, Wigwe bin receive recognition as African Banker of di Year, for di second consecutive year. Dat same year again, di Global Brands Magazine Award recognise am as di ‘Best Banking CEO’ wia im also receive di Juris Law Award by di Juris Law Office sake of im contributions to corporate governance and rule of law for Nigeria banking industry.

During di COVID-19 global crisis, Wigwe act by co-leading di formation of CACOVID (Coalition Against COVID) wia dem establish 39 isolation centers across the 36 states of Nigeria including FCT Abuja and also feed 10 million families across Nigeria.

Im launch 'The HOW Foundation' for 2016. Wigwe also establish di Wigwe University.

Im bin get five children wit im wife Doreen Chizoba Wigwe.