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Access Holdings CEO Herbert Wigwe, 5 Others Feared Dead in California Chopper Crash

The Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings Herbert Wigwe, his wife, a son and Abimbola Ogunbajo, former President of Nigerian Exchange Group Plc and 3 others, are feared dead in a helicopter crash at the border between Nevada and California.

The chopper was headed to Las Vegas when it crashed near a border city between Nevada and California Friday night local time.

According to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, no survivors were located after a helicopter crashed in the Mojave Desert in California Friday night.

“The scene of the crash was determined to be east of the 15-Freeway, near Halloran Springs Road,” the statement added.

A search and recovery operation is on.

It is believed there were six persons aboard including Herbert’s wife , son and a friend and former president of the Stock Exchange Toks Ogunbadejo.

Due to weather conditions his aircraft landed in Palm Springs, California, before they got on a helicopter to Las Vegas at about 10 pm local time (7am Nigerian Time).

Official confirmation by the authorities is still being awaited from National Safety Transportation officials currently expected at the crash site with family members.

Herbert Wigwe Profile

Born in August 1966, Herbert Onyewumbu Wigwe began his career at Access Bank in 2002 as the deputy managing director. In 2014, he was appointed group managing director and managing director (GMD/CEO). Prior to becoming a chartered accountant, he served as a management consultant for Coopers & Lybrand and as an executive director overseeing institutional banking at Guaranty Trust Bank.

Also, Wigwe held positions as Chairman of Access Bank (Ghana), Access Investment & Securities Limited, Central Securities and Clearing System (CSCS), and Access Bank (UK) Limited.

He was most recently the Chairman of Unified Payments Services Limited. He was also on the advisory boards of Friends Africa and the Nigerian Mortgage Refinance Company.

The late Access Bank CEO was named 2016 Banker of The Year by both The Sun and Vanguard newspapers.

Wigwe earned a B.Sc. in accounting from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka; a Master’s in banking and finance from the University College of North Wales, now Bangor; a Master of Science in financial economics from the University of London; and an Executive Management Programme certificate from the Harvard Business School. In addition to being an Honorary member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, he was a Fellow of the Institute of Credit Administration and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria.

Details later…