(Reuters) - Six people, including the group chief executive of one of Nigeria's largest lenders, were killed in a helicopter crash in Southern California on Friday, authorities said.
Six people were on board the helicopter when it crashed around 10 p.m. near Nipton, California, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement.
Access Bank Group CEO Herbert Wigwe's death was confirmed by Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, director general of the World Trade Organization, in a post on X, along with that of Nigerian Exchange Group's former Chairman Abimbola Ogunbanjo.
"Terribly saddened by the news of the terrible loss of Herbert Wigwe, Group CEO Access Bank, his wife and son as well as Bimbo Ogunbanjo in a helicopter crash," Okonjo-Iweala said on X.
The helicopter was headed to Las Vegas when it crashed near a border city between Nevada and California, according to multiple reports.
Persons:
Herbert Wigwe's, Ngozi Okonjo, Abimbola Ogunbanjo, Herbert Wigwe, Bimbo Ogunbanjo, Iweala, Surbhi Misra, Jyoti Narayan, Andrea Ricci
Organizations:
Reuters, U.S . Federal Aviation Administration, Access Bank, World Trade Organization, Exchange, San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, FAA, Eurocopter EC, National Transportation Safety Board
Locations:
Southern California, Nipton , California, San Bernardino County, Halloran, Las Vegas, Nevada, California, Bengaluru