Access Bank Group CEO dies in helicopter crash in California
Illustrative photo: Eurocopter EC 130 helicopter (phs.com.au)
In the aviation crash in California (USA), among the six fatalities on board the helicopter was Herbert Wigwe, the Chief Executive Officer of one of Nigeria's largest creditors, Access Bank Group, according to a tweet from the Director-General of the World Trade Organization, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and Reuters.
As clarified, the crash involved a Eurocopter EC 130 helicopter, although earlier reports indicated the involvement of Orbic Air.
The death of all six individuals on board was confirmed by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. It was stated that no survivors were found.
Herbert Wigwe (photo: twitter.com/HerbertOWigwe)
It has been determined that the helicopter crashed east of the 15th freeway, near Halloran Springs Road on Saturday evening.
The FAA stated that an investigation into the tragic incident will be conducted in collaboration with the National Transportation Safety Board.
According to multiple reports, the helicopter was en route to Las Vegas when it crashed near the border town between Nevada and California.
Information about Access Bank Group
It is a conglomerate of financial services headquartered in Nigeria with subsidiaries in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Gambia, Guinea, Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Mozambique, Botswana, South Africa, Zambia, France, and the United Kingdom.
The group also has representations in China, India, Lebanon, and the United Arab Emirates.
Following the merger of Access Bank plc and Diamond Bank in 2019, Access Bank plc is currently the largest bank in Africa in terms of the number of clients and the largest bank in Nigeria by asset size.
Helicopter crash in the USA
Earlier, it was reported that an aircraft took off on Friday evening from Palm Springs Airport and was heading to Boulder City (Nevada). The helicopter crashed around 10:00 PM local time.
There were six people on board, and unfortunately, none of them survived.
