During a night of tribute to the late Herbert Wigwe, the former Group Managing Director and CEO of Access Bank Plc, Olusola Faleye, his assistant, recounted an incident that prevented him from boarding the ill-fated helicopter that claimed the lives of his boss, Wigwe’s wife, son, and business associate, Abimbola Ogunbajo.
Faleye revealed that he had initially planned to travel with the group on the helicopter but decided to accompany their luggage by road instead since the luggage could not fit on the chopper.
He noted that his decision was motivated by his desire to ensure the safe delivery of the luggage to their destination.
Faleye explained that he had received a call from Ogunbajo, who expressed his interest in joining them on the trip. However, Faleye advised him against it, citing the unpredictability of Wigwe’s travel plans. Despite this, Ogunbajo insisted on waiting for their arrival, and they all proceeded with their trip.
During the flight, Faleye approached Wigwe and asked him about his experience flying a helicopter at night. Wigwe reassured him that the aircraft was equipped with navigation systems to facilitate safe nighttime flying. However, as they began loading the luggage, Faleye became concerned about the logistics of transporting the luggage separately from the passengers, particularly considering the lengthy wait time for the luggage’s arrival.
Faleye ultimately decided to travel by road with the luggage to ensure its safe arrival, leaving Wigwe, his wife, son, and Ogunbajo to board the helicopter. Faleye was en route to their destination when he attempted to contact them via phone, but to no avail. The ill-fated helicopter crashed, taking the lives of all onboard.
