Nigerian banking CEO is among six people killed when helicopter traveling from California to Nevada crashes into Mohave Desert

A Nigerian bank CEO on his way to the Superbowl was among six people killed in a horror helicopter crash in the Mohave Desert.

Dr. Herbert Wigwe, 57, co-founder of Nigeria’s largest bank Access Bank, died in the California desert along with his wife, son and three others on Friday evening.

The helicopter crashed about 60 miles from Las Vegas while Wigwe was reportedly on his way to Sin City to attend Superbowl LVIII. Semafor.

The former Chairman of the Nigerian Exchange Group, Abimbola Ogunbanjoa, was also among those killed when the Eurocopter EC 130 crashed while en route to Boulder City, Nevada.

Investigators scoured the crash site early Saturday morning before confirming that “no survivors have been located.”

The banking CEO and leading figure in Nigerian economic issues was killed, along with his wife (pictured together), son and three others

The former Chairman of the Nigerian Exchange Group, Abimbola Ogunbanjoa, was also among those who died in the tragedy

The cause of the tragedy has not yet been determined by officials, with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department saying the crash site was near Nipton on the edge of the Mojave Desert Preserve.

Tributes poured in for Wigwe after news of his death was announced, with the finance director seen as a leading figure at the forefront of the expansion of the Nigerian economy.

In his work at Access Bank, he led an initiative to expand its influence across the continent, taking majority stakes or control of banks in Kenya, South Africa and Botswana, among others.

After his bank became the largest in Nigeria by assets in 2019, Wigwe told Semafor that the company was finalizing efforts to launch its first full banking service in Asia in the first quarter of 2024.

He was also known for his influence on education, founding his own university – Wigwe University – which would hold its first classes later this year.

Wigwe University reportedly cost $500 million and planned to enroll 10,000 students over the next five years.

The university was part of his drive to improve the African economy, as he wrote in an op-ed Semafor just a month before his death that investing in higher education was crucial to increasing opportunities.

He added that improving education was key to controlling mass migration and allaying fears about how it is destabilizing society. He wrote about how the issue has taken a step back — including how “Donald Trump’s Republicans continue to stoke fear around border security.”

Tributes poured in for Wigwe, who spearheaded efforts to expand Nigeria’s economy – including launching his own university that would start classes this year

The helicopter crash was the second in California in days, after a Navy helicopter carrying five Marines crashed during a storm in the mountains of Southern California on Tuesday evening.

The five men have been identified as: Lance Cpl. Donovan Davis, 21, of Olathe, Kansas; Sergeant Alec Langen, 23, of Chandler, Arizona; Capt. Benjamin Moulton, 27, of Emmett, Idaho; Captain Jack Casey, 26, of Dover, New Hampshire; and Captain Miguel Nava, 28, of Traverse City, Michigan.

Gen. Michael J. Borgschulte, 3rd MAW Commanding General, said, “It is with a heavy heart and deep sadness that I share the loss of five outstanding Marines from the 3d Marine Aircraft Wing and the Flying Tigers while conducting a training flight. .

“These pilots and crew members served a calling greater than themselves and were proud of it.

“We will be forever grateful for their dedication to duty and selfless service. We extend our deepest condolences to the families of our fallen Marines and are committed to ensuring your support and care during this incredibly difficult time.”

The young men were all assigned to Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 361, Marine Aircraft Group 16, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing in Miramar

Several agencies launched a desperate search early Wednesday after the helicopter was reported missing.

Efforts have been made to recover the remains of the five and an investigation into the crash is underway, according to the statement.

The helicopter took off from Creech Air Force Base near Las Vegas, Nevada, on Tuesday evening and was en route to the Marine Corps Air Station in Miramar when it went missing.

The CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter was last reported in the Cleveland National Forest, near the U.S.-Mexico border and about 56 miles east of its destination.

The area is currently covered in snow, complicating the search, officials said.