A helicopter crash claimed the lives of six people bound for Las Vegas on the eve of the Super Bowl, according to tragic reports.
The Independent say the victims include the CEO of a Nigerian bank, his family, and two pilots onboard.
The helicopter was traveling between Palm Springs, California to Boulder City, just outside of Las Vegas, when it crashed near Baker, California at around 10pm on Friday.
The President of Nigeria, Bold Ahmed Tinbu, confirmed the deaths of Herbert Wigwe, the CEO of Access Holdings, his wife, Chizoba Wigwe, and their son Chizi Wigwe.
Abimbola Ogunbanjo, the former group chairman of the Nigerian Exchange Group Plc, was also on board the helicopter when it went down.
Witnesses are said to have claimed that fire could be seen coming from the aircraft after it made contact with the ground.
This the third helicopter crash in the US this week alone and now it has taken 6 Nigerian lives. Lives that were planning for the future of our great country.
What is the FG doing about this. If the CEO of JPMorgan crashed his chopper in Nigeria, what would America do? How will… pic.twitter.com/EeCSueMcmx
— SERAH IBRAHIM (@TheSerahIbrahim) February 11, 2024
“This passing is an overwhelming tragedy that is shocking beyond comprehension,” President Bold Amed Tinbu said. “I pray for the peaceful repose of the departed.”
As per Semafor, Wigwe was on his way to Las Vegas to attend Superbowl LVIII with his wife.
The helicopter crash was the second to have shaken California in recent days. Last week a Navy helicopter carrying five marines crashed in the mountains in the southern part of the state amidst stormy conditions.
Lance Cpl. Donovan Davis, 21, of Olathe, Kansas; Sgt. Alec Langen, 23, of Chandler, Arizona; Capt. Benjamin Moulton, 27, of Emmett, Idaho; Capt. Jack Casey, 26, of Dover, New Hampshire; and Capt. Miguel Nava, 28, of Traverse City, Michigan, were the victims named.
The co-founder of Nigeria's largest bank was among six people killed in a helicopter crash in California.
Six people were on board when it crashed in San Bernadino County.
There have been no survivors found so far. pic.twitter.com/Z0q0UCuLUX
— Elephant News Network (@elephantnewsgh) February 10, 2024
According to a press release, the helicopter was found last Wednesday morning in a mountainous area around 35 miles east of San Diego.
The Weather Channel reported that the area had been under a winter weather warning for elevations 4,000 feet and above. In addition to 6 to 10 inches of snow, gusts up to 60 mph were expected.
Rest in peace.
