Kenya Defence Force helicopter crash: Six people were slain in a Friday night helicopter accident in a remote area of the Mojave desert near the California-Nevade border, including the chief executive of the biggest bank in Nigeria, his wife, and their son.
Together with Abimola Ogunbanjo, the former group chairman of Nigeria’s stock market, the crash claimed the lives of Herbert Wigwe, the CEO of Access Bank, and his wife, Doreen Chizoba, and son, Chizi. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the director general of the World Trade Organization, initially revealed the identities in a post on X.
Terribly saddened by the news of the terrible loss of Herbert Wigwe , Group CEO Access Bank @HerbertOWigwe , his wife and son as well as Bimbo Ogunbanjo in a helicopter crash. My deepest sympathies and condolences to the Wigwe family, the Ogunbanjo family, Access Bank Group…
— Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (@NOIweala) February 10, 2024
On the boundary between the counties of Elgeyo Marakwet and West Pokot, in the Sindar area, the (KDF) Kenya Defence Force helicopter crash took place on Thursday afternoon. Francis Ogolla, the Chief of Defense Forces, was being transported on a helicopter.
Three of the chopper’s occupants were injured but survived, according to the police, leaving five dead. Three injured survivors were transported to a hospital via airlift.
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Following the deadly incident, President William Ruto has convened an urgent meeting of top security officials at State House in Nairobi.
It is made up of the President, his assistant, the Attorney General, the Chief of Defense Forces, the Director-General of the National Intelligence Service, the Inspector-General of Police, and the Minister of Defense.
It is the top decision-making body in the country when it comes to security issues and is responsible for many national security tasks, such as keeping an eye on national security agencies.
Based on information from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, the accident was reported around 10:10 p.m. on Friday. Even though all six people, including the two helicopter pilots, were pronounced dead, no one knew who they were right away.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating what caused the crash.
CNN said that investigators planned to go back to the crash site on Sunday to take more drone video. Witnesses said the plane caught fire when it hit the ground. There was also rain and a mix of snow and rain when the plane crashed.
