Herbert Wigwe, along with his wife Chizoba and son Chizi, have been laid to rest in his hometown of Omueke, Isiokpo, in Rivers State.
After a private interment following a funeral church service, the late Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings Plc, his wife, and son were buried.
Their burial came after a week-long series of funeral rites held to honor the life of the late banking guru, his wife, and his son.
The funeral service for the respected banker and philanthropist began promptly at 11:00 a.m. today. Mourners, including friends, associates, and well-wishers from local and international communities, gathered to pay their final respects.
Present at the service are; Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, business leader Aliko Dangote, HRH Muhammadu Sanusi II, Gov. Alex Otti, Gov. Dapo Abiodun, former Senate President Bukola Saraki, Gov. Babajide Sawno-Olu, and other notable captains of industry.
Other top dignitaries in attendance are Rivers State Governor Sim Fubara and State Commissioner of Police Olatunji Disu, who is the Chief Security Officer (CSO) of the burial ceremony.
Also at the funeral are Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State and Dr. Godknows Igali, a former Nigerian diplomat, among many others.
Herbert, Chizoba, and Chizi Wigwe, along with former Group Chairman of Nigerian Exchange Group Plc (NGX Group) Abimbola Ogunbanjo and two pilots, were all on board the Airbus Helicopter EC 130B4 with registration number N130CZ when it crashed near Halloran Springs, California, on February 9, 2024.
The exact cause of the crash is still unknown, but a preliminary report from the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released two weeks ago stated that witnesses in vehicles saw the helicopter as a “fireball” before it crashed.
According to the NTSB, witnesses reported that the weather on the day of the crash was a mix of rain and snow.
During the events leading up to Wigwe’s burial, many friends, industry leaders, family members, and associates paid tribute to the late banking expert.
